A BLACKBURN man was stabbed 18 times in a frenzied assault because his attacker feared he was about to be the victim of a gay rape, a court was told.

Marvin Lee Whitehead, 28, a former pupil at Billinge High School, whose family still live in Mill Hill and Shear Brow, died at a house in Todmorden on February 1 this year.

A jury at Leeds Crown Court has heard how Geoffrey Anthony Laycock, 34, of Willow Bank, Todmorden, said he was acting in self defence after Marvin made a gay pass at him while they looked for women on the internet. Alistair McDonald, prosecuting, said Laycock, who denies murder, killed Mr Whitehead, 28, and then concocted a "calculated and deceptive" plan to make it look as though there had been a struggle before calling 999.

Mr McDonald said there was no evidence Mr Whitehead had been a homosexual and no evidence he had ever made a pass at another man.

Mr McDonald said Laycock dragged the body outside, put a knife in the dead man's hand, knocked over furniture and cut his own arms so it appeared he had been defending himself.

The jury heard how both men had been at Laycock's nephew, James Shackleton's house on Gordon Street, Todmorden, where they had been drinking and taking cocaine.

Mr McDonald said that while there, Laycock had been angered by Mr Whitehead's threat to kill himself because his relationship with his internet girlfriend had ended. He said Laycock, who had friends who had died of cancer, struck Mr Whitehead.

Alana Barnes, who was at the house, told police how Laycock had been on top of Mr Whithead, who was curled up defending himself. Mr Shackleton separated the pair and they shook hands, the court was told. "By far and away the stronger of the two was the defendant, as events will show he was well able to look after himself," said Mr McDonald.

He said the pair took a taxi back to Laycock's house and Laycock suggested looking on the internet to find a new female partner for Mr Whitehead. He said that Laycock claimed that while he was on the computer Mr Whitehead put his arm around him and tried kissing him. He said he swore at him and went into the kitchen. He said Mr Whitehead followed and said he wanted to have sex with him.

In an interview he said he had then picked up a vegetable knife from the draining board, hoping to deter Mr Whitehead. But he said he was grabbed and that was when he stuck the knife in Mr Whitehead's back.

"I have not stuck the knife in his back through anger, it was through fear at the thought of being raped," Mr McDonald said Lyacock told police.. The court heard how Laycock left the house and called the police from his ex-girlfriend's house at Castle Lodge, Halifax Road, Todmorden. Police attended Willow Bank five minutes after the call and found Mr Whitehead dead with a blade stuck in his abdomen.

(Proceeding)