A MAN accused of killing a doorman was looking for a fight and "bouncing around" moments before the stabbing, a jury has been told.

Matthew Sheridan was drunk and appeared to be on drugs when he got into an argument over a bottle of vodka that had allegedly been stolen from a bedsit in Yeovil.

He is on trial at Exeter Crown Court accused of murdering 40-year-old father-of-five Louis Bednall last December.

The tenant of the bedsit in Hendford Hill told the jury that Sheridan, who is known as Manic, became angry when he was asked to return an unopened litre bottle of vodka that had disappeared from the room.

Simon Bishop said he saw Sheridan stab Mr Bednall repeatedly on the head and neck with a weapon he believed to be a screwdriver.

He saw blood spurting around the room after one blow punctured Mr Bednall’s jugular vein.

Sheridan, 30, of South Petherton, denies murder. He says another man who was with him carried out the killing.

The jury have been told that Mr Bednall had driven from his home in Torbay with his 22-year-old friend Tanya Robins to visit Mr Bishop, who was living with his 16-year-old girlfriend in room 4 on the middle floor of the block of flats.

They had watched movies before going out just before the local Tesco closed at midnight to buy pot noodles.

They got back to room 4 to find that someone had climbed over a low roof, opened the window, and stolen the bottle of vodka which Mr Bednall had brought with him.

Sheridan was staying the night with his friend Derrick Michael, known as Diggy, in his room 7 on the floor above.

Mr Bishop said they met Manic and Diggy as they returned from Tesco and noticed Sheridan was holding a vodka bottle identical to the one they had left in the room.

He went upstairs to find his room unlocked, the window open, and his pet parrot Ringo flying around. He realised that the vodka has been stolen.

He said he spoke to Diggy to ask for it back and an argument ensued with Manic going upstairs shortly before a fight broke out.

He then remained on the landing outside and half in, half out of the room, until he entered the cramped space and the argument became violent.

In a police interview recorded later in the day Mr Bishop said: “Manic threw the first punch and Louis tried to restrain him. He pulled out a screwdriver and was repeatedly stabbing the top of Louis’s skull and his shoulder.

“Then he punctured his jugular on the side of his neck. They ended on the floor after all this happened. Diggy was trying to drag Manic off. I heard him say 'You idiot, don’t.

“They went down the stairs, leaving me to deal with this horrific incident. It was not like the blood was just pouring out. It shot out up onto my wall and ceiling. Tanaya was screaming that Louis was dying.”

Mr Bishop said both Manic and Diggy were drunk and he thought they were both on drugs because of their ‘hyperactive’ behaviour.

He said Manic was initially defensive when challenged about the stolen vodka but then became aggressive.

He said: “Manic was looking for a fight. He was bouncing around as if he was looking for a fight, he was hyperactive. I think he was looking for a reason to attack someone.

“Louis stood up for himself. Manic wanted to harm someone. He and Diggy did not like Louis because he was in a relationship with Tanaya and they were trying to be all macho to try to impress her.”

Under cross-examination, he said he now knows the weapon was a knife but thought it was a screwdriver at the time. He said he remained certain it was Sheridan who had been wielding it.

The two woman who were in the room with Mr Bishop have already given evidence and both have told the jury they saw Sheridan carry out the stabbing.

Miss Robins said she tried to save Louis’s life by putting pressure on the neck wound but was unable to staunch the bleeding.

Mr Bishop’s 16-year-old girlfriend said the stabbing was like a scene from a horror movie.

The jury has been shown police bodycam of Sheridan’s arrest, which happened after officers broke down the door to Mr Michael’s room 7.

Mr Michael had refused to open the door, telling the police to get a warrant. When he was arrested, Sheridan claimed he had fought off a mugger in the street about 90 minutes earlier and remained in the room since that time.

He denied going into room 4 or having anything to do with the stabbing.

The trial continues.