Murder accused struck out as he ‘feared he was going to be hit’, court told
MURDER accused Jake McIntyre told a court he did not intend to seriously hurt or kill Andrew Peart and struck out because he feared he was going to be hit.
McIntyre is accused of causing fatal injuries to the 39-year-old after they clashed when Andrew stepped out into the road in front of McIntyre’s car. McIntyre, who denies murder, told jurors at Newcastle Crown Court Andrew had been “aggressive” during the confrontation in Northumberland last August.
The amateur martial artist said he was driving his Mitsubishi Shogun to the Co-op in Guide Post when he saw a man walking in the “middle of the road”.
He told the court he beeped his horn then saw it was Andrew.
He said Andrew came up to his open passenger window shouting something about him “driving towards us like that”.
He claimed Andrew asked him if he wanted to “go”, which he took to mean have a fight, before Andrew took his shirt off and started “bouncing” like a boxer.
McIntyre said he drove off, but in his mirror he could see Andrew appearing to pick something up.
He said he was “confused” by the altercation but feared it was “never just going to be left there” and thought there would be “repercussions” from Andrew and his friends.
He said he parked and walked back to see Andrew as he wanted to “say let bygones be bygones”.
He said he took a foot-long wheel brace with him as he thought Andrew may have armed himself and he “didn’t want to take any chances”.
McIntyre said Andrew said “sorry” but it was in an “aggressive manner” and he didn’t believe the apology was real. He said Andrew walked towards him and he thought he was going to get punched, so he hit him in the leg with the wheel brace.
When asked why he struck Andrew, McIntyre replied: “Because I felt he was coming towards me in a threatening manner and he was going to hit me.”
Asked if he intended to kill or cause really serious harm, he replied: “No I didn’t.”
The two men grappled, then McIntyre turned and sent Andrew toppling over a bin to the ground, the court heard. “
He was on the floor and I just asked him ‘why couldn’t you just leave it’,” he said.
He said Andrew continued to shout and make threats as McIntyre returned to his car.
McIntyre said Andrew “was absolutely fine” when he left the scene. The court has heard he initially appeared uninjured but fell ill later that night and died eight days later.
McIntyre said he got a message from Andrew’s partner, Sarah Gray, the following day to say he was in hospital in a coma and alleging he had hit Andrew in the head with a metal pole. He said he “didn’t believe it”.
The court heard he sent a message in which he talked about hiding from police and changing his car after doling out “street justice” to a “little crackhead”.
McIntyre told jurors it was a “private message between friends” and he “didn’t believe the situation was as serious as it was”.
He also said another message in which he talked about “wrapping a pole” around Andrew’s head was him “literally just bigging up” to his friends and was “not accurate”.
McIntyre, 28, of Stakeford Crescent, Stakeford, Ashington, denies murder and the trial continues.