Accused 'saw killers leave scene'

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A Belfast man accused of murder claimed he knew the real killers, but was too scared to name them, a court has heard.

Thomas Valliday, 21, from Belfast's Lady Street, is accused of the murder of Frank "Bap" McGreevy.

Mr Valliday claims he saw two men leaving the Ross Street home of 51-year-old Mr McGreevy moments before he found, and tried to revive him.

He made the claim when he finally admitted to police that he had been inside Mr McGreevy's home.

He did so after being told a former girlfriend had spotted him.

Mr Valliday told detectives he saw two men, one aged 17 to 18, the other about 24 or 25, leaving the flat, but maintained he couldn't name them because "I will be killed outside, I will. You don't understand".

Earlier the court heard that when initially told he had been seen in Mr McGreevy's home, the accused, who had always denied he had been there, claimed not to remember.

"The drink, the drugs and the glue must have kicked in," he told detectives, adding later: "I blanked out of my head with the drugs."

He then suggested that he had seen other people about the house before he went into the flat.

"I seen two people in the house, then I went in, walked into the house," Mr Valliday said, also explaining that was when his former girlfriend spotted him.

He said when he went into the flat he found Mr McGreevy lying face down on the floor and he "lifted him and tried to turn him on his side to give him a chance at breathing".

The trial continues on Thursday when it is expected the defence will open its case.