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Lucy McHugh murder trial: Accused 'threatened to have girl beaten up' Lucy McHugh murder trial: Accused calls pregnancy claim 'nonsense'
(about 3 hours later)
A man accused of murdering schoolgirl Lucy McHugh threatened to "pay a bunch of girls at her school to beat her up" after a falling out, a court has heard. The man accused of murdering schoolgirl Lucy McHugh told a court her claims he had got her pregnant were "nonsense".
Lucy, 13, was found stabbed to death in woodland at Southampton Outdoor Sports Centre in July 2018.Lucy, 13, was found stabbed to death in woodland at Southampton Outdoor Sports Centre in July 2018.
Stephen Nicholson told jurors he made the threat in a text to Lucy's mother as he was "angry". Stephen Nicholson told jurors the teenager said she would tell her mum she was carrying his child as she was "trying to cause trouble".
Mr Nicholson, 25, denies murder and a series of sexual offences with Lucy and another girl.Mr Nicholson, 25, denies murder and a series of sexual offences with Lucy and another girl.
Winchester Crown Court heard he began lodging at the Southampton house where Lucy and her family lived in 2017. The jury at Winchester Crown Court had previously been told there is no evidence that Lucy was or ever had been pregnant.
Giving evidence, Mr Nicholson said he had blocked multiple attempts from Lucy to add him on Snapchat and he did "not see eye-to-eye" with the girl. Mr Nicholson began lodging at the Southampton house where Lucy and her family lived in 2017, the court was told.
Giving evidence, Mr Nicholson said he received a message on Facebook from Lucy the night before her death, saying she would tell her mother he had got her pregnant unless he met her at a nearby park.
"She was just making stuff up, trying to cause trouble - it was nonsense," he told the court.
He said he responded by saying "yeah whatever" before deleting and blocking her.
Mr Nicholson did not get on with Lucy and he had sent a threatening text to her mother, the court heard.
He said he had blocked multiple attempts from Lucy to add him on Snapchat and he did "not see eye-to-eye" with the girl.
His belongings would go missing and clothes of his had been found in Lucy's room, he said.His belongings would go missing and clothes of his had been found in Lucy's room, he said.
"She would follow me around the house, always trying to get in my way and get involved with stuff that wasn't anything to do with her," he told jurors."She would follow me around the house, always trying to get in my way and get involved with stuff that wasn't anything to do with her," he told jurors.
He told jurors on one morning in March 2018 Lucy had tried to push him down a flight of stairs and he subsequently sent a string of angry text messages to her mother. He said on one morning in March 2018, Lucy had tried to push him down a flight of stairs and he subsequently sent a string of angry text messages to her mother.
These included him saying "your daughter won't leave me alone" and that he would "pay a bunch of girls at Lucy's school to beat her up", jurors were told.These included him saying "your daughter won't leave me alone" and that he would "pay a bunch of girls at Lucy's school to beat her up", jurors were told.
Asked by defence barrister James Newton-Price QC why he sent the messages, Mr Nicholson said he had been "angry" and was "venting".Asked by defence barrister James Newton-Price QC why he sent the messages, Mr Nicholson said he had been "angry" and was "venting".
He told the court he had been unaware of notes written by Lucy and conversations with her friends in which she described him as her "boyfriend".He told the court he had been unaware of notes written by Lucy and conversations with her friends in which she described him as her "boyfriend".
"It was nonsense," he said."It was nonsense," he said.
The court was shown CCTV footage of a cyclist at the sports centre on the day Lucy went missing.
But Mr Nicholson said it was not him and the person in the footage was wearing grey trainers that differed from his.
When asked about a period of inactivity on his phone between 09:00 BST and 10:45 BST, Mr Nicholson said he had been at at a friend's house talking and cleaning up bags of rubbish.
Earlier, the judge directed the jury to return a not guilty verdict on one count of sexual activity with a child after the prosecution decided it had insufficient evidence.Earlier, the judge directed the jury to return a not guilty verdict on one count of sexual activity with a child after the prosecution decided it had insufficient evidence.
Care worker Mr Nicholson, formerly of Mansel Road East, Southampton, denies murder, three charges of raping Lucy when she was 12 and one count of sexual activity with a child once she had turned 13.Care worker Mr Nicholson, formerly of Mansel Road East, Southampton, denies murder, three charges of raping Lucy when she was 12 and one count of sexual activity with a child once she had turned 13.
He also denies a count of sexual activity with a 14-year-old girl in 2012.He also denies a count of sexual activity with a 14-year-old girl in 2012.
The trial continues.The trial continues.