The Thai national froze, wondering where the 'terrifying noise' was coming from.

A door opened at the other end of the corridor in the Nanyang Technological University's School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, and she saw a former teacher, Associate Professor Cheah Chien Chern, striding out.

He too had heard the cries for help.

Ms Kusopalin recalled that the door to another office then opened and she saw Associate Professor Chan Kap Luk, 45, backing out, his shirt heavily soaked with blood. Prof Chan staggered toward Prof Cheah, who saw that he was gripping a broken knife blade in his right hand..

Frightened by the blood, Ms Kusopalin turned and ran.

Ms Kusopalin was one of seven witnesses who took the stand yesterday on the third day of the coroner's inquiry into the death of Indonesian undergraduate David Hartanto Widjaja.

Their separate accounts pieced together the events of March 2, when Mr Widjaja allegedly attacked Prof Chan before falling to his death minutes later from four storeys.

Prof Chan told the courtroom that he asked Prof Cheah to call the police and an ambulance. When Mr Widjaja stepped out of his office moments later, he pointed at the young man and shouted: 'Can someone get the student?'

Mr Widjaja pointed at him and hurled some words after him.

Prof Chan told the half-filled court room: 'I cannot recall his exact words but he said something that sounded like he was blaming me - that I was the one who started this.'

Read the full report in Saturday's edition of The Straits Times.