A jury has retired to consider verdicts on a man accused of killing his father after a trivial argument about charging his mobile phone.

Patrick Murphy knifed his father Joe and then stabbed his brother Mark, 34, as he tried to intervene, Maidstone Crown Court has been told.

Murphy also allegedly threatened his mother Sandra after stabbing his father: “Step back, or else you’re going to get it. I am going to finish him off.”

The 30-year-old denies murdering his father, who was 54, at the family home in Hectorage Road, Tonbridge, on May 19 last year.

He also denies wounding his brother with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and having an offensive weapon.

Prosecutor Philip Bennetts QC said Murphy had shortly before the stabbings bought the knife that inflicted the wounds at Sainsbury’s in the town.

He had also drunk three cans of strong Special Brew lager he bought from an off licence.

Mark Murphy was taken to King’s College Hospital in London and treated for wounds to his chest, right arm and hand.

A woman living next door agreed with a suggestion by Murphy’s QC James Turner that they were “neighbours from hell”.

The jury of seven men and five women was told after the argument about charging his phone Murphy stormed out and went to Cash Converters and sold his phone for £20.

He was shown on CCTV footage at the High Street shop just after 5pm. He then went to the Wine Library off licence and bought four cans of Special Brew.

While doing so, another customer asked him: “Is life that bad having to have such a strong beer?”

He replied: “You don’t know the half of it. I need to drown my sorrows.”

Murphy went to B&Q in Cannon Lane but left after looking at knives there. He went on to Sainsburys in Angel Lane and bought a pack of three knives.

As he left the store, he pulled the largest knife out of the packaging and returned home at 7.12pm. The attack then happened, said Mr Bennetts.

Murphy, who has learning difficulties, claimed in evidence he bought the knives intending to kill himself in front of his family.

He said he lost control in “a moment of sheer madness” and stabbed his father, who he claimed had abused and bullied him all his life.