Murder accused told police ‘all actions I took were to defend myself’
FATAL STABBING VICTIM WAS HOLDING A KNIFE AND AXE, TRIAL HEARS
A NOTTINGHAM man accused of stabbing to death 22-year-old Davices Anderson in his flat later told police everything he did was in self defence, a trial was told.
Courtney Mcleary said he was “wrestling” with the victim, who was holding a knife and an axe with a makeshift blade when co-accused David Francis jumped on him and he landed on Mr Anderson, known as Ricardo.
In a prepared statement, the 54-year-old said “I am unsure if I stabbed Ricardo, or if the knife Ricardo was holding went into him” before the fatally-injured man tried to flee downstairs from his address at the junction of Woodborough Road and Huntingdon Street.
Mr Anderson then collapsed in the communal hallway at High Cross Leys, saying “help me, help me” before later dying from the stab wounds he received.
Mcleary, 54, and 61-year-old Francis are both on trial at Nottingham Crown Court for murder. They deny the charge.
Prosecutor Andrew Vout KC, opening the case, said after being arrested Mcleary gave a prepared statement to the police in interview.
In it he said: “I was in the kitchen cleaning up from dinner when I heard Ricardo shouting in the living room. I went into the living room and Ricardo was holding a knife in one hand and an axe in the other hand.
“The axe had a makeshift blade taped to the back of it as a pick-style blade. Ricardo was threatening (my partner) with the axe, saying she owed him money and that he was going to rape her, it was terrifying. I went in and stood in between Ricardo and her, I was telling Ricardo to ‘calm down and leave it,’ but he carried on. “Ricardo started going crazy saying he would put the axe in our heads if anyone tried to leave the house, and he was going to kill us. I was petrified, he started moving the axe as though he was going to attack with it. “By this point I had a knife in my hand and moved towards Ricardo to grab the knife and axe that he had. I was wrestling with him.
“I was trying to get them off of him when David Francis jumped on us both. We both fell down to the floor with David Francis on top of us. David jumped on to me, and I fell onto Ricardo.
“I am unsure if I stabbed Ricardo, or if the knife Ricardo was holding went into him.
“When he got up off the floor he ran straight outside. I never intended to kill or cause Ricardo serious harm. I was trying to stop him from attacking me and my partner. All actions I took were to defend myself and (her).”
On day one of the trial on Wednesday, disturbing footage was played to the jury showing Mr Anderson crying “help me, help me” as he collapsed in the entrance to the block of flats having been fatally stabbed.
On the clip, Davices Anderson is seen bleeding from a number of wounds to his body, having been attacked with a weapon, the prosecution say, by Mcleary.
Two more men – Gregory Bailey and Danny O’keefe, both aged 50 – are also on trial having been charged with assisting an offender in relation to the same incident. They too deny their involvement.
Opening the trial to the jury, Mr Vout said: “At about a quarter to eight on the morning of April, 28, 2023, Davices Anderson was stabbed at least three times.
“One stab wound was to the left side of his forehead, one stab wound was to his left thigh and one stab wound was to his chest. The weapon used to inflict this wound penetrated the chest wall and then entered his heart.
“Courtney Mcleary and his friend, David Francis, were parties to the attack in which those injuries to Davices Anderson were caused.
“We say that you can be sure that Courtney Mcleary, and David Francis, were parties to the attack in which those injuries to Davices Anderson were deliberately caused. Both of them intended to cause Davices Anderson really serious harm.”
The trial of Mccleary, of High Cross Leys; Francis, of Swale Grove, Bingham; O’keefe, of Keswick Court, Sneinton, and Bailey, of Comyn Gardens, St Ann’s continues on Monday, March 3.
I am unsure if I stabbed Ricardo, or if the knife Ricardo was holding went into him. Courtney Mcleary [in police statement]