MURDER trial witnesses today described how they watched alleged murderer display bravado in the moments before a fatal fight.

Aaron Roche, 21, boasted he was prepared to stab 20 people moments before he allegedly killed Dele Little, 15.

He made the threat as he walked towards a confrontation with Dele, Winchester Crown Court heard today.

Roche had been summoned by mobile phone to console his girlfriend Kayleigh Shinn, 18, after she was twice pushed over by Dele, of Powell Crescent, Totton, in an argument outside West Totton Centre on February 3 this year, the court was told.

As a crowd gathered, Roche went looking for Dele, said Gary Bagley, 18.

Mr Bagley told the jury: "I told him I'm not being funny, but there's 20 boys there and you are going to get battered.' "He said I will stab every single one of them'", Mr Bagley said.

Mr Bagley added he thought Roche was full of bravado: "I thought he was a joke, he was going to get beaten right up. I had heard it all before, when people fight they say stuff like that to make themselves look bigger, that they are not frightened.

"I thought he was only 15 or 16. This boy was getting himself involved out of his depth. He was saying he was going to beat everyone up, when he was on his own.

"I didn't think he was a person to come looking for a fight. But with a girlfriend it is different," he said.

Roche, of Ringwood Road, Lyndhurst, denies murder.

Proceeding.