Security guard Anton Levin died after accidentally stabbing himself during a tussle with a knife, the man accused of his murder claims.

Abdul Fatah Suleiman, 28, is alleged to have killed Mr Levin, 24, after luring him and his friend Abdullatif Abdulkadir, 25, to a flat in St Ann's Road, Southend, which belonged to a drug addict prostitue.

Three men armed with stormed into the living room and attacked the pair on Wednesday, November 19, 2014.

Anjad Malik QC, prosecuting, told Chelmsford Crown Court that Suleiman maintains Mr Levin accidentally pulled one of the knives into himself as the pair stood next to eachother.

He said: "Suleiman has claimed that they were chest to chest with Suleiman having the knife by his side.

"Then Levin pulled the knife into himself accidentally as Suleiman was trying to pull it away.

"He can't remember inflicting the injury."

Consultant forensic pathologist Dr Benjamin Swift took to the stand to address the claims from Suleiman and his defence team.

He told the court a post mortem examination showed Mr Levin died as the result of a single stab wound to his right thigh.

The cause of death was given as hypothermic shock and a loss of blood circulation.

Dr Swift told the jury: “The angle of the knife was pointing towards Mr Levin’s belly button and the depth of the wound was approximately 13cm.

“The post-mortem examination identified the presence of a single stab wound to the right thigh, resulting in damage to the right femoral artery and vein.

“It is the injuries to these main vessells in the lower limb that resulted in the amount of blood lost at the scene. There was no evidence of a sustained attack prior to the wound being received.”

He ruled it was more likely Mr Levin was deliberatley hurt by another person, rather than accidentally inuring himself.

Dr Swift added: “Suleiman is saying that he is applying force to take the knife away from Mr Levin and Mr Levin is pulling it towards him.

“The sum total of that force would have to be in the direction of Mr Levin and of a significant amount of force to puncture the skin and clothing.

“It would be my opinion that the suggestion that the wound was caused by Mr Levin to himself accidentally was less probable than it being deliberately stabbed by another person.”

Suleiman is alleged to have planned the frenzied attack three others- a 16-year-old from Thurrock, a 17-year-old from Basildon, who cannot be named for legal reasons, and Danielle Russell, 26.

Suleiman denies murdering Mr Levin, and the attempted murder of Mr Abdulkadir.

He also denies conspiracy to inflict grievous bodily harm and conspiracy to rob Mr Levin of Class A drugs and money.

The trial continues.