Murder accused describes stabbing man, denies murder

A man accused of murdering John Murray Morton admitted to giving him several ‘‘quick jabs’’ with a knife but denied the injuries were serious enough to kill him.

Martin Grant Price told the court he went to Morton’s boat in the early hours of August 4, 2016, to buy cannabis oil, after drinking at a Nelson bar.

The pair exchanged hundreds of aggressive text messages in the months leading up to August 4, but Price thought they had begun to resolve the conflict after Morton waved at him from a passing car.

The way Morton died showed their relationship was far from amicable, the Crown says.

Price admitted punching Morton in the face, hitting him in the head with his backpack and stabbing him. He denied kicking and stomping on Morton or attacking him with a piece of wood as alleged by the Crown.

Price was a witness during the High Court trial yesterday. Defence lawyer Ron Mansfield asked the jury to assess whether Price was acting in self-defence, if the force he used was reasonable and if he had murderous intent.

Price said he climbed on the boat, saw Morton who yelled at him and punched him.

That made Price angry and ‘‘a red light came on’’ in his mind.

Price then dealt ‘‘a series of blows to his head’’ which sent Morton flying into the cabin door.

Morton then reached into the cabin and grabbed a knife, he said.

Price said Morton jumped over the side of the boat, blocking his access as he tried to leave.

Price then took off his backpack and hit Morton in the head with it. Morton dropped the knife, Price dropped his backpack and the two began wrestling in the mud.

Price said Morton began to strangle him, sticking his thumbs into his windpipe

‘‘I grabbed the knife and gave him three or four quick jabs with it. I wasn’t aiming, I was just trying to get him so I could breathe again.

‘‘Everything happened really quickly, the time from when I got to the boat and the time I left was no more than five minutes.’’

When he got home to Franklyn Village, he showered, and left to dispose of the knife and the clothes he had been wearing in a bin.

He heard the next day police were at Morton’s boat. He then read in the newspaper Morton had died after which he ‘‘got drunk’’ to block it out.

‘‘I didn’t think what happened injured him that badly.’’

He was questioned by police several times but denied having anything to do with Morton’s death.

‘‘I was glad I was arrested because going to jail meant I stopped drinking and drugging. I stopped denying it and started facing up to it.’’

The trial continues on Monday.