TWO alleged murderers threatened to kill the eyewitness to their crime only hours after their fatal attack on a York council tenant, a court heard.

Karen Bulmer, 37, alleged that her boyfriend, John Wood, held a knife to her throat, watched by the other two men who are accused of killing Peter Robinson in Wood's flat.

"I will do what I did to Peter," Bulmer claimed Wood told her.

From the witness box, she added that co-accused, Wilfred Barlow, then said: "If you are not going to do it, I will do it."

Earlier the same day, Paul Darch, the third man accused of the murder, had allegedly told two visitors to the flat in Trent House, Margaret Street, they had to cut up the body of Mr Robinson and put it in black bin bags.

Wood, 39, of Trent House, Margaret Street, Darch, 47, of Horsman Avenue, York, and Barlow, 44, formerly of Bramham Avenue, Chapelfields, deny murdering Mr Robinson on February 28. The body allegedly lay in the flat until police arrived more than 24 hours later.

Giving evidence, Daniel Kitchen said his long-time friend Barlow phoned him on March 1, saying he had stabbed someone and needed help in getting rid of the body.

"I didn't believe what he was saying and put the phone down," said Mr Kitchen in the witness box at Leeds Crown Court.

But after a further phone call, he and another man called Shane followed Barlow's directions to the flat.

There, Barlow showed them the body and a man called Paul confronted Mr Kitchen.

"He was in my face and told me I was going to cut up the body and put it in black bags," alleged Mr Kitchen. "Paul was pointing down at the fireplace and saying there was a machete. I wasn't really looking."

Kitchen alleged that he immediately left the flat and Shane followed.

"We were in shock," he said.

Miss Bulmer told the jury that she saw the defendants stamp and kick their victim's head during the attack on February 28.

"I saw Peter lying on the floor with blood coming out of his nose and mouth," she said.

"He just looked like he was dead because he was not moving.

"But I could tell he was breathing a little bit because the blood was moving in his nose. This was after they had finished with him."

Asked what happened next she said: "I didn't say anything. We all sat down and started drinking again. Wilf said: 'I bet Peter will come through and asked for a drink.' But he didn't, he was dead."

The next evening, she and Wood argued and Wood held the knife to her throat.

Darch urged the other two against knifing her and she fled the flat, going first to a friend's and then to the police. The court heard that Miss Bulmer and Mr Robinson were living with Wood temporarily when the attack occurred.

Speaking very quietly and in short sentences, Ms Bulmer told the jury that Mr Robinson was attacked immediately after entering the flat on February 28 at about 8pm.

Wood was angry that Mr Robinson had touched her breasts and offered her £5 for sex several weeks earlier. She said Wood had claimed: "I'm going to get him."

The hearing continues.

Updated: 10:06 Friday, October 07, 2005