A Camden teenager’s insides were exposed by a “big hunting knife” when he was stabbed in the stomach and left for dead by a fellow teen, Blackfriars’ Crown Court heard today.

Michael Onabanjo, 18, needed lifesaving surgery and 52 stitches after being attacked during a dispute with a boy who cannot be named due to his age.

Mr Onabanjo was attacked in a “bin store” backing on to West Hampstead’s Billy Fury Way alleyway on November 6 before trying to crawl to safety, the court heard..

The youth is charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

Prosecuting, Jonathan Loades told the jury: “[The defendant] had a knife with him. He got it out from where it was concealed and he stabbed him deliberately. The knife was never found.”

Mr Onabanjo had been with a friend, his sister’s boyfriend Adeyamo Adeisa, earlier that evening and the pair ran into another group of men in Finchley Road, Det Con. Chris Shepherd told the jury as they were shown CCTV of the evening in question.

Mr Loades and Det Con. Shepherd both explained that after a short time the defendant led a small group down Lithos Road and then Billy Fury Way.

The prosecutor then told the jury the leaders entered a bin store off the alleyway, and someone called for Mr Onabanjo to follow.

Mr Loades said: “As Mr Onabanjo walked through he saw immediately that [the defendant] was carrying a knife.”

Mr Onabanjo’s witness statement – which was read in court but is disputed by the defence – details that the attack happened swiftly.

The victim wrote: “I saw straight away that [he] was carrying a knife. I thought ‘this guy’s a dickhead’, I said: ‘why do you have a knife out you dickhead?’

“He ran towards me, lunged at me and stabbed me in the stomach.”

Mr Loades told the jury of the extent of Mr Onabanjo’s injuries.

He said: “He was found to have a very large abdominal wound through which his viscera – his stomach and bowel – was protruding. He had to have emergency lifesaving surgery.”

The trial continues.