A teenager has told a court of the moment his stepbrother allegedly tried to kill him in a knife attack while lying on his bed about to play Call of Duty.
George Score was in the midst of a heated row with his stepmum over cleaning his room when her son Jamie Goodege is said to have straddled him and stabbed him in the chest.
The 18-year-old later told police the first he was aware of the blade was when it was stuck in his body.
Then, having rolled onto his side and blacked out, he suffered a further five wounds to his arm, leg, back and buttocks before regaining consciousness and hearing his step-sibling scream: “This is all your f****** fault”.
But the teen, who said the assault at the family home in Gillingham on the afternoon of January 25 this year left him struggling to breathe and in shock, told police he “never thought” Goodege would use violence.
On trial at Maidstone Crown Court, the 22-year-old denies attempted murder as well as the alternative, less serious offences of wounding with intent and unlawful wounding.
Before the prosecution case got underway yesterday (July 8), Judge Catherine Moore explained to jurors that Goodege’s diagnoses of ADHD and autism may make him appear to lack empathy and appropriate emotion.
She also said he may have difficulty sustaining attention and concentration, as well as understanding proceedings.
But outlining the Crown’s case against the defendant, prosecutor Michael Hillman said that, notwithstanding the engineering apprentice’s mental health issues, the jury could be sure that when he plunged the kitchen knife into his stepbrother, his intention was to kill.
At the time of the alleged murder bid, Goodege, his mum, George and his father had been living in their three-bedroom property in Fourth Avenue for about 16 months.
Mr Hillman explained any arguments and tensions were “nothing out of the ordinary for two families merged together”.
However, trouble flared on the day in question after George took a break from gaming in his room to have a cigarette in the garden, only to be moaned at by stepmum Dawn Goodege about the smoke wafting into the house.
There was then a second argument when, five or 10 minutes later, Ms Goodege was said to have burst into George’s bedroom without knocking to complain about a coffee cup ring stain on his hardwood floor.
It was as the row “got a bit more intense”, said the prosecutor, that the defendant appeared and allegedly launched his attack.
In a police interview recorded by police 18 days later and played in court, George recalled the build-up to being stabbed.
He said that having worked all week, he was lying on his bed, chatting to a friend on the phone and getting ready to play his game when his stepmother began shouting, swearing and accusing him of being lazy.
He explained that even after he said he would end the call and clean the stain, her screaming continued.
But he said it was when he responded with the comment “Oh, f****** whatever” that the defendant intervened, telling him “You f****** loud c***. Keep talking like that, I swear to God”.
George said he was still lying on his bed as he replied to Goodege: “Shut up, you gobby little c***.”
The knife was in there for a good few seconds. It was quite a long one.
Describing how the alleged attack then unfolded, he continued: “About 15 seconds after that, Jamie came into the room quite quickly.
“Dawn had stepped out of the way of the doorway and Jamie said ‘Don’t talk to my mother like that’ and, as he was getting on top of me, in his left hand he had the knife.
“He was putting it into my chest as he was getting on top of me. The knife was in there for a good few seconds. It was quite a long one.
“After that, I blacked out for a minute but I do remember rolling onto my side.”
George said when he came round, he was struggling for breath and unable to move other than lift his head and look down at his chest.
He then heard Goodege, who was no longer straddling him, screaming: “This is all your f***ing fault.”
Asked by police to describe his reaction to being knifed in his chest, the teenager said: “The first thing I thought was ‘What the f***’. I was frozen, there was nothing I could do.
“Panic started to set in. I don’t remember being able to move. I was just frozen in shock because it was something I just wasn’t expecting.”
George, who said he did not remember any of his other wounds being inflicted, described previous rows with his stepbrother as being “more shouty” than physical.
He also agreed when cross-examined in court by defence barrister Danny Moore KC that although his relationship with Ms Goodege “wasn’t great”, they would argue “quite a lot” and swear at each other, he and her son had “never come to blows”.
But he denied Mr Moore’s suggestion he was “quite irate” with his stepmum that day and disagreed he had got up from the bed and was “in her face”.
Police arrived at the house shortly before 2.30pm to find bloody footprints on the carpeted landing and the teenager lying on his bed telling them “I’ve been stabbed”.
Having been taken to London’s King’s College Hospital, he underwent surgery after it was discovered he had sustained lacerations to a lung.
The knife, later described by George as having a “slightly blunt” blade, was found in the family’s kitchen.
Goodege was arrested at around 3pm that same day near The Strand in Pier Road, having told police of his whereabouts when they called his mobile.
However, he appeared confused and required clarification on why he was being detained.
The court also heard that before officers had arrived, Goodege phoned his brother Rhys, telling him he had “messed up and stabbed George” and claiming his stepbrother had been arguing with his mum and “got in her face”.
He also called his personal trainer, telling him “quite bluntly” he had acted in self-defence when his stepbrother “went for my mum”.
Once in custody, Goodege gave “No comment” interviews. These were followed by a prepared statement in which he said he never had any intention to kill George or cause him really serious harm.
But the jury was told by Mr Hillman that although the burden of proof lay with the prosecution, it could be “sure” the defendant was guilty of attempted murder.
“The Crown say that notwithstanding any neurodiversity, notwithstanding any ADHD or autism you may hear about, the evidence in this case will drive you to the sure conclusion that at the moment these very serious injuries were inflicted on George by Jamie, Jamie’s intention was to kill him,” he said.
The trial continues.
