Murder accused 'admits kicking'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/wales/7388970.stm

Version 0 of 1.

A teenager accused of murdering his married lover's estranged husband has admitted exchanging blows with him and even kicking him, but not "full force".

Dickson Ho, 18, from Cardiff, told Cardiff Crown Court he was punched first by Gethin Owen, 47, in a confrontation at Tracey Owen's home.

He denies murdering Mr Owen, who died eight days later with 10 broken ribs.

The jury heard Mr Ho believed he had probably saved Mr Owen's life because his wife tried to stab him in the neck.

The defendant admitted telling "a pack of lies" to police about the incident in June 2007 but said it was to protect his girlfriend.

The court has heard Mr and Mrs Owen had been separated following an incident of domestic violence in June for which Mr Owen was convicted of actual bodily harm against his wife and sentenced to a two-year supervision order.

I pushed him and tripped him up and he fell to the floor - he tried to get back up so I kicked him to the body a couple of times Dickson Ho, defendant

However, the couple had kept in touch because of their three children.

Earlier on the day of the alleged murder, the pair had met and had been shopping before Mrs Owen, 35, left her husband in a local pub, the jury heard.

Giving evidence on Wednesday, Mr Ho said Mrs Owen had invited him around to her home that evening, when Mr Owen turned up unexpectedly some time after 11pm.

Mr Ho, who was then 17, told the court Mr Owen threatened to kill him and Mrs Owen, and put his hands around Mrs Owen's neck.

He said Mr Owen ran up the stairs to get at him but then fell back.

He said: "I grabbed him in a bear hug. He kept struggling and was trying to get me off him. The front door was still open so I took him outside."

He said Mr Owen stumbled and fell but got up and punched him.

Mr Ho said: "He punched me in the face and came at me straight away. He was prepared to fight."

Tracey ran towards him and tried to stab him in the neck - I ran straight towards her and grabbed her by the waist to stop her Dickson Ho, defendant

The defendant, who was two stone heavier than Mr Owen, is accused of kicking the steelworker in the head and ribs.

He admitted kicking Mr Owen twice "as a gesture for him to go".

John Charles Rees QC, defending, asked him: "If you wanted to have given him a good beating when he was on the floor in that condition, could you have? He replied: "Yes."

Mr Rees then asked: "Did you have any intention of doing so?" Mr Ho replied: "No."

Mr Ho told the jury Mrs Owen later ran out of the house with a kitchen knife threatening to find her husband and "finish him off".

He said he followed her in to the street, when Mr Owen punched him again.

'Stab'

He said: "I managed to push him away but he came back at me again. I pushed him and tripped him up and he fell to the floor.

"He tried to get back up so I kicked him to the body a couple of times.

"When I stopped Tracey ran towards him and tried to stab him in the neck. I ran straight towards her and grabbed her by the waist to stop her."

Asked if he thought he had saved Mr Owens' life, the defendant replied: "I would say so, yes."

Mr Ho admitted he was "sorry" he had agreed with Mrs Owens not to tell the police about any violence or the knife.

Under questioning by John Jenkins, prosecuting, he said: "I didn't want to tell the police he hit me because then I would have to tell them I hit him back."

The court has heard Mr Owen was arrested on suspicion of common assault after his wife made a complaint, but was taken to the Princess of Wales Hospital, Bridgend, after complaining of breathing problems.

He died the following week after developing pneumonia and suffering a stroke.

The trial continues.