'I knew he was dead', jury hears from girlfriend of Andy Foster as murder trial continues

A woman whose boyfriend died after ammonia was thrown in his face, has described how she desperately tried to save his life but said she "knew he was dead".

Andy Foster died of an asthma attack after being hit with the substance after opening the front door of his home in Wrekenton, in Gateshead, in August 2023.

Four men are currently on trial for his murder.

On day three of the trial, the jury were played a police interview with Katie Harrison, Andy Foster's girlfriend, which took place days after his death. Jurors heard the 999 call she made on the night of the attack. Ms Harrison told how she had just gone to bed when there was a knock at the door. Seconds later, Mr Foster screamed to call an ambulance. She said, "He was screaming and he grabbed his face, his eyes were all red and swollen. He said it’s ammonia, I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe."

The 999 operator instructed Ms Harrison to carry out CPR. She told police, "I knew he was dead. I could tell from his face."

Earlier in the day, the jury heard from a mother who broke down in tears as she told the court of the moment she was blinded as armed intruders sprayed chemicals in her face.

Nicola Dixon was also giving evidence in the trial at Newcastle Crown Court.

Kenneth Paul Fawcett, John Wandless, Youssef Wynne and Josh Hawthorn all deny the murder of 26-year-old Mr Foster.

The court has previously heard the attack was one of four “similar” chemical attacks across 11 days.

Speaking anonymously via a video link, Ms Dixon told the court on Thursday (16 May) that she was at home with her boyfriend in Jarrow, on South Tyneside, on 16 August 2023.

He was recovering from surgery for a broken leg and was in plaster when two men appeared at the sitting room door, one of them carrying a hammer which he "swung" at her boyfriend, she said.

Ms Dixon told jurors she jumped up and grabbed the hammer, adding: "We were struggling, I was trying to get the hammer off him.

"We were struggling and then the next thing he squirted something in my face. It hit my lungs.

"I didn't know what it was but it hit my eyes."

She told the court she felt like her "lungs had been closed off", adding: "It felt like they met each other in my chest."

Ms Dixon could be heard to break down as she explained she was instantly blinded in one eye and passed out.

The court heard she underwent three operations to save her eye but they failed and her left eye had to be removed a few months later, and was replaced with a synthetic eye.

She told the court her boyfriend smokes marijuana but she does not take drugs or drink.

Ms Dixon added that she heard the intruders rooting around in the kitchen and they stole some of her boyfriend's personal-use cannabis.

Asked how long they were in the house, she said: "It felt like forever, it felt like they were there for ages. I don't know if it was five minutes or ten minutes."

Ms Dixon said she knew of Wynne and that her sister went to school with him. She added that her boyfriend knows him well.

Wynne, 39, of Wuppertal Court, Jarrow, Fawcett, 33, of Balkwell Avenue, North Shields, Wandless, 33, of no fixed address and Hawthorn, 22, of Ashfield, of Jarrow, deny murdering Mr Foster and also deny an offence of robbery, relating to the stealing of cannabis edibles, after Mr Foster had allegedly been attacked.

Wynne also denies assault on Mr Foster 11 months before he died in an alleged dispute over drugs.

Wynne, Fawcett and Wandless also deny causing grievous bodily harm with intent to MsDixon.

Wynne and Fawcett deny attempting to cause GBH with intent on a man on 9 August 2023.

Wynne, Fawcett and Wandless deny attempting to cause GBH with intent on another man on 12 August.

Wandless has pleaded to handling a stolen VW Golf and arson by burning it out after it was allegedly used in three of the incidents.

The trial continues.

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