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A father was stabbed 18 times as his teen son looked on in horror just five minutes after boarding a London-bound train, a court heard.

Lee Pomeroy, 51, had been travelling into the city with his 14-year-old son on January 4 when he was allegedly knifed to death by Darren Pencille after an argument.

The Old Bailey heard Pencille, 35, may have made comments to Mr Pomeroy and his son because they were in his way as he moved down the carriage.

As the train pulled into Clandon train station, Pencille allegedly stabbed Mr Pomeroy in the neck - a fatal blow.

He is then said to have stabbed him another 17 times before fleeing the train and heading to the south coast for a day with girlfriend Chelsea Mitchell.

Mitchell, 27, denies one count of assisting an offender but is said to have bought razors and clippers to help him change his appearance after the attack.

(Image: Julia Quenzler / SWNS)

Prosecutor Jacob Hallam QC said: "On Saturday the 5 January of 2019, Lee Pomeroy was to celebrate his 52nd birthday.

"At one minute past one in the afternoon on Friday 4 January Mr Pomeroy and his 14-year-old son boarded a train at London Road in Guildford in Surrey bound for London Waterloo.

"Lee Pomery did not leave that train alive. Within five minutes of boarding it, Mr Pomeroy had been stabbed in the neck by the first defendant, Darren Pencille.

"That wound to the neck was the first of 18 injuries with a knife that Mr Pomeroy inflicted on Lee Pomeroy on that train on that day.

(Image: Julia Quenzler / SWNS)

"A little over an hour after he boarded the train, and despite the best efforts of emergency services who rushed to save his life, Lee Pomeroy was dead.

"As the emergency services rushed to save Mr Pomeroy's life, the first defendant rushed away from the scene of his crime."

The court heard that according to one passenger, Pencille was the aggressor, calling Mr Pomeroy a "pussy" and "c***" in front of his teenage son.

Pencille allegedly shouted: "You touch me, you touch me and you see what happens at the next stop."

Mr Pomeroy was said to have demanded an apology, saying : "You should not have humiliated me in front of my kid."

According to another witness, Pencille was swearing and accusing Pomeroy of following him up the train, the jury was told.

Pencille called the victim racist, even though he had not said anything racist, according to a woman on the train.

Mr Pomeroy allegedly responded: "I've never dealt with someone with special needs before."

Part of their heated exchange was recorded on a mobile phone.

The defendant allegedly said: "C***, you heard what I said, you f****** heard what I said.

"Go put your hand on me," Pencille allegedly continued, before adding: "I dare you, I dare you. Put your hand on me, because it won't end nicely."

Seconds later, Mr Pomeroy was stabbed in the neck, the court heard.

The court heard Pencille called Mitchell who collected him from the train station and took him home.

They then went to the south coast for the day before returning back to their flat in Farnham.

Mr Hallam said: "Together they drove to the flat where she lived in Farnham in Surrey and then down to the south coast. They stayed there for a while before driving back to Farnham that same evening.

(Image: Julia Quenzler / SWNS)

"In the course of that day, the first defendant Mr Pencille cleaned himself up and changed his appearance.

"The two of them, the Crown say, engaged in research on the internet about what it was Mr Pencille had done to Mr Pomeroy."

The court heard Mr Pomeroy and his son were dropped off at London Road station at 12.46pm by Mr Pomeroy's wife and Pencille was dropped off by Mitchell at 12.47pm.

The three all boarded the same carriage of the London-bound train via different doors. Pencille then made his way down the carriage close to where the Pomeroys were.

Mr Hallam said: "It may be that they were blocking his way because he chose to say something to them, and the something that he said was perhaps rather snide at best. Because he said to them: 'Ignorance is bliss'.

"It appears he said it twice. That prompted Lee Pomeroy to respond and to ask what it was that he meant by those words.

"An argument began between the two men, which quickly became heated.

"This is a period of about a minute in this first carriage."

It was said that as Pencille continued down the carriage, Mr Pomeroy followed him and the men moved into the adjoining carriage.

Pencille, of Farnham, Surrey, denies one count of murder.

Mitchell, also of Farnham, denies one count of assisting an offender.

The trial continues.