I feared two bodybuilders would kill me
THE man accused of murdering Mr Scotland bodybuilder Michael O’Hanlon wept yesterday as he told a jury he thought he was going to be killed.
Steven Kirkwood, 44, said he had asked Michael to meet him at a garage in Stevenston, Ayshire, on July 25 last year.
Kirkwood wanted to talk about abusive Facebook and text messages that had been exchanged between him and his ex-partner Eileen, who was due to marry Michael, 45,
He told defence QC Derek Ogg: “I wanted to talk to Michael O’Hanlon and I didn’t want any hassle.”
Kirkwood told his murder trial at the High Court in Glasgow that after he walked into the office at HK Autotek, Forbes Cowan – a former World’s Strongest Man competitor – came in and “just started shouting”.
The accused added: “He said, ‘Get outside you f ***** g p***k, till we get this sorted’.
Kirkwood said Michael came into the office and both men started hitting him.
He added: “I felt a jagging sensation on the left side of my back coming round to the front.”
Ogg asked: “Was there any way for you to escape,” and Kirkwood replied: “No.”
He added: “I thought they were going to kill me. I thought they were trying to stab me. At one point, I pushed back and I saw a knife on the floor. I grabbed for it and swung it round behind me.”
Kirkwood told the court that he was swinging the knife in the direction of Michael.
Ogg asked: “Do you accept that all his injuries were caused by the knife you held in your hand?” Kirkwood said: “Yes.”
Kirkwood was asked if he knew he had stabbed Michael and he replied: “No.”
He claimed Cowan handed Michael a pick axe shaft and he was hit on the hand and arm with it as he tried to protect himself.
Kirkwood denies murder and the trial continues.