A 15-year-old girl lured into a nature reserve by two teenage boys was stabbed more than 30 times during an attack filmed on a mobile phone, a court heard yesterday.

Edward Bell and his friend James Galloway blindfolded the girl before Bell repeatedly plunged a kitchen knife, taken from his friend’s home, into the girl. Bell has already admitted carrying out the assault because he thought the girl had given him HIV. He is awaiting sentencing.

When police found the girl in the nature reserve near Hertford she had 32 stab wounds. Penelope Rector, for the prosecution, told jurors that the victim had survived “against all the odds”.

Ms Rector told St Albans Crown Court that although Bell held the knife, the assault on December 19 had been a joint effort between the two friends, who were 17 at the time.

On the evening of the attack Bell picked Mr Galloway up from his home in his car and told him to bring a kitchen knife. The court then heard that Bell sent the girl, who cannot be identified, a text message asking her to meet them to drive to the Waterford Heath nature reserve. Ms Rector said Bell told Mr Galloway that he was going to kill her because “he may have contracted HIV Aids by having sex” with her.

After ten minutes’ walking Bell suggested to the girl that they blindfold her with her coat and use a mobile phone to film a pretend attack. He promised that they wouldn’t hurt her and that it would be like bondage.

Ms Rector said: “Once blindfolded she felt a blow as Edward Bell commenced a frenzy of stabbing. He was watched by James Galloway who stood holding the mobile phone, using a light from the phone as a torch so Bell could see what he was doing.

After the attack, which lasted between 10 and 15 minutes, the girl heard Mr Galloway say: “Quick we have got to go. That’s enough Ed.”

Ms Rector said: “They ran off laughing leaving her for dead and taking her mobile phone with them. She was still conscious and crawled back down the track. The next thing she recalls was hearing sirens and the arrival of the police and an ambulance.” Bell walked into the police station at Hertford afterwards and said: “I have murdered somebody. I went crazy. I lost it and killed her.”

Mr Galloway was arrested shortly afterwards at his home and initially claimed that he had been there all evening. His mother later identified the knife used in the attack as similar to one missing from her kitchen.

In an interview with the police from her hospital bed, the girl said that it had been Mr Galloway’s idea that she be blindfolded.

She said “Ed gave James the phone,” as a “nasty smile” passed between them. Giving live evidence she told Ms Rector: “At one point the phone dropped and I think they both joined in.”

Bell, now 18, said that Mr Galloway had “egged” him on. He said: “I told him he should give me the knife whenever the time was right.”

Ms Rector told jurors: “He [Mr Galloway] plays an important part. It was a joint enterprise in which James Galloway was a willing participant.”

Mr Galloway denies attempted murder. The trial continues.

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