A friend of the Saudi student who died in a street after being stabbed in the neck by a stranger thought he was 'going to be next', he told a court today.
Abdullah Saleh A Bin Shuail was standing outside a luxury accommodation block in Cambridge when Mohammed Algasim was fatally wounded by Chas Corrigan, 22.
Jurors have been told that Corrigan admits killing the 20-year-old English language summer school student but denies murder as he claims he was defending himself.
Describing his fear for his own safety as he stood feet away from the stricken victim, Mr Bin Shuail said: 'I thought I was going to be the next victim...'
'I got the key card [to the student accommodation building] out of my pocket to open the door.
'It was the one safe place. Only students with keys could get in.'
Mr Algasim had been 'smiling and chatting' with fellow students while sitting on the low wall of a ramp outside the entrance to the building on the night of August 1 last year, Cambridge Crown Court has heard.
He was approached by Corrigan, who was dressed in a distinctive yellow high-visibility jacket and 'dirty' shorts, and who had just left a pub following 'an evening of drink and drugs', according to the prosecution.
Mr Bin Shuail, who knew the victim because they were both from the same country, said the defendant was 'not walking in a normal way' and was 'swinging from side to side'.
Corrigan approached Mr Algasim and they spoke 'quietly' before he continued in the direction of the railway station.
Mr Algasim then said something he couldn't hear but included the word 'centre', after which Corrigan turned round.
'He was wound up and he said "What did you say? What did you say?" the witness told the court.
Mr Algasim remained sitting and stayed 'calm' as Corrigan came 'close to his face' and bent 'down to his level' before shouting 'I know what that means', he continued.
The victim then stood up and the men faced each other before they suddenly separated, although 'there was no pushing'.
'Then the defendant got a knife from his pocket and struck Mohammed - but at the time I thought it was a punch,' Mr Bin Shuail said.
'It was on the left-hand side of his neck. It was very hard. I remember that he was wearing a cap and from the force of the blow the cap flew off.
'Modhammed was shocked or affected by the blow and put his hand to his neck. He turned and went to the left.
'At that point I saw the knife...the defendant was holding it. There was blood on the blade.'
Mr Bin Shuail, who gave evidence through an interpreter, said Corrigan then looked at him and said 'What you gonna do?', making him think he was 'threatening me'.
The defendant, who had been holding a cigarette in one hand, then left and Mr Algasim collapsed seconds later after having run away down the street.
Jurors have watched shocking footage of the incident which showed Irish-born Corrigan running away through a pedestrianised area beside the street after the stabbing.
Cross-examined by Jane Osborne KC, Mr Bin Shuail accepted the initial conversation between the two strangers appeared friendly.
But he denied hearing Corrigan ask about a lighter or that he had said to his victim: 'See you later bruv.'
During the trial, jurors have heard that Corrigan had spent the earlier part of the evening with a female friend who said he 'may have taken drugs [as] she had seen him drunk on previous occasions and this seemed different'.
Simona Miksykte added the defendant had tried to grope her and a female neighbour he had met for the first time.
Corrigan visited a pub just before his fateful encounter with Mr Algasim and a fellow drinker there said he had shown him the knife he was carrying in his shorts.
Stephen Papillon told the court he assumed it was for 'self-defence' as the defendant mentioned he had been 'shot and stabbed before'.
A post-mortem examination found that Mr Algasim died from a single stab wound to the left side of the neck that cut across the carotid artery and jugular vein, causing massive haemorrhaging.
Opening the case on Tuesday, prosecutor Nicholas Hearn said Mr Algasim had 'posed no threat to anybody. The defendant was the aggressor here'.
He added: 'This was an unprovoked and senseless act of violence. It was not an accident. It was not self-defence. It was murder.'
The trial continues.