A young boxer has denied any part in the death of a teenager who was allegedly stabbed over a love rival.

Daniel Grogan, 20, became jealous after 18-year-old Jay Sewell began seeing his former girlfriend, Gemma Hodder, also 18, the Old Bailey has heard.

It is claimed he teamed up with family and friends to murder Mr Sewell, having "poisoned" them against him.

Jay Sewell, from Welling, was attacked and stabbed in Alwold Crescent in Eltham at around 9.50pm on December 11 and later died in hospital.

Ms Hodder drove from Kent to see Grogan, accompanied by Mr Sewell and some of their friends.

Grogan and his group, from south-east London, allegedly armed themselves with weapons including knives, hammers and an axe to launch a violent attack.

Mr Sewell was fatally stabbed and his friend, Charlie Pamphlett, now 19, was knifed in the back, but survived.

A 17-year-old budding boxer, who is accused of being part of Grogan's group, told jurors he was given a stick to defend himself with.

But when the situation began to get out of hand, he said he "froze up" and got "scared".

The defendant, who cannot be identified, said: "I did not do anything. I was just basically there. When it started happening, the fight and everything, I froze up. I was quite scared."

Asked why he was armed with a stick, he said: "I thought these people would bring weapons with them so I got given it. If someone attacked I could use it in self- defence.

"It had a tea towel wrapped around it to take some of the impact out. I did not want to cause no harm to anyone. It was not my intention."

He said he had expected there to be a fight but hoped it would resolve peacefully.

"I just thought I was a bystander. I was hoping we would go there, maybe a bit of a stand-off, they would leave, drive off and that would be the end of it. That would be the best scenario.

"I believe I left before the stabbing happened. I was running away at that point. I did not expect nothing like that to ever happen.

"My intention was to make sure everyone was safe and everyone was all right. When everything got out of hand I did not want to be involved in that any more. I was not brought up that way."

Grogan denies murder along with parents Robert, 54, and Ann, also 54, sister Francesca, 29, cousin Liam Hickey, 19, Jamie Bennett, 31, Charlie Dudley, 25, and the 17-year-old boy.

They also deny causing grievous bodily harm with intent in relation to Mr Pamphlett.