A student accused of stabbing a teenager to death in Ilford after chasing him out of a birthday party has claimed he had no problem with the victim.

Dale Williams, 20, is one of seven men accused of murdering 17 year-old Kelvin Chibueze outside the Arteflex club, High Road.

But he told jurors at the Old Bailey he had no reason to join in the violence and only picked up a bottle of Courvoisier brandy to defend himself.

Williams was on the dancefloor at the private party on August 15 last year when he felt someone “tap” him on the chest, the court heard, and “saw a blade retracting”.

Williams said he had no idea why anybody would try and stab him and denied having any arguments that night.

After moving away he heard “a lot of screaming” and bottles being broken and saw people stampeding through the club, the court heard.

“A bottle narrowly missed me so I picked up the bottle of Courvoisier to protect myself.”

Everybody went outside where the fighting continued, the court heard.

Williams said he saw Kelvin collapse on the ground and a group of youths running towards him with knives.

He added: “I was afraid the person who had tried to stab me would try to stab me again so I left.”

Roger Damali, 31, of Macauley Road, East Ham; Ibrahim Zakari, 20, of St Margaret’s, Barking; Lerone Boye, 25, of Henley Road, Ilford; Dale Williams, 20, of Harts Lane, Barking; Joel Asare-Minta, 22, of Park Avenue, East Ham; Diphy Menga, 24, of St Mary’s Road, Ilford and a 17-year-old, of Dagenham, all deny murder.

Kongolo Kongola, 30, of Sewell Street, Plaistow was cleared of the murder charge at the close of the prosecution case due to lack of evidence.