A teenager admits he killed an 18-year-old in a countryside beauty spot but denies he is guilty of murder.
Alex Davies suffered more than 100 stab wounds in a brutal attack said to have been carried out with a knife bought from Asda.
But Brian Healless denies murder, with jurors told they would have to decide whether psychiatric issues meant he had "diminished responsibility" for his actions.
Mr Davies' body was discovered in a secluded spot on Parbold Hill, near Ormskirk, on May 1, 2019.
Gamekeeper Daniel Hankey found the teenager when his dog drew his attention to a pile of broken conifers.
He called police when he saw an arm among the branches.
A search of the area led police to the scattered driving licence, bank card and Tesco clubcard of Mr Davies, who had been reported missing by his mum on April 30.
A black handled kitchen knife was found "secreted" nearby.
That blade, prosecutor David McLachlan, QC, told Preston Crown Court, is thought to have been the weapon used to kill Mr Davies.
Mr McLachlan told jurors: “[Mr Davies] lived in Skelmersdale with his mother and on April 29, 2019, he was stabbed to death, and you will hear he was stabbed well over 100 times.
“This happened in a remote spot in Parbold not too far from the Miller and Carter pub. As for Alex Davies, you will hear that he was openly gay and that he had arranged to meet up with Brian Healless, a young man who at the time was 17 years of age and lived in Chorley.”
Mr McLachlan said the jury will hear it is accepted by the defence Healless stabbed Alex Davies.
He continued: “To be clear, the issue for you will be whether this is a case of murder or whether this is a case of manslaughter by, and reason of, diminished responsibility.”
Diminished responsibility, the QC added, “is a partial defence to murder which has the effect of reducing the crime of murder to one of manslaughter”.
Jurors were told of mobile phone evidence that showed Healless had planned to meet Mr Davies and CCTV images placing both in the Parbold area on the afternoon of April 29.
This included footage of Healless, who at one point texted Mr Davies "I will come and get you", cycling towards Parbold Hill on a black mountain bike at around 2.30pm.
Just before 4pm he was captured cycling the other way, then wearing a rucksack the prosecution said belonged to Mr Davies.
When detectives attended Healless' Rylands Road home they found a black mountain bike which had traces of Mr Davies' DNA on one pedal.
A search of the 18-year-old's bedroom led them to two phones, a set of BOSE headphones and a wallet that belonged to Mr Davies, the court was told.
Knives that appeared to be from the same supermarket set as the blade found at the scene were also recovered.
Mr McLachlan said: “In summary, the prosecution case is that Brian Healless, on April 29 of last year, exchanged messages via various messaging platforms with Alex Davies and that led to them meeting up near Parbold Hill…The prosecution case is that Brian Healless went to that spot armed with a knife.
“And during the course of the meeting between them, near the top of Parbold Hill, Brian Healless used that knife to stab Alex Davies."
He claimed, following Mr Davies death, Healless "simply rode away as if nothing had happened".
*The case initially began on Tuesday morning, but the jury was discharged hours later due to coronavirus concerns.
The judge, His Honour Mark Brown, said he had been made aware three of those on the panel were over 70.
With the case due to last into next week and recent Government advice that over-70s should begin to self-isolate, he said he felt he had "no alternative" other than to dismiss the jury.
A new panel, which was told what had happened, was then selected and the case opened again.
Proceeding
