Grantham murder accused Nicholas Ward tells Lincoln Crown Court it was an ‘accident’ to stab best friend Tony McDermott
A Grantham man today (Tuesday, April 23) denied murdering a close friend telling jurors the fatal stab wound was an "accident".
Nicholas Ward, 37, denies murdering his long term friend, Tony McDermott, 38, on October 13 last year.
Mr Ward also denies a second charge of manslaughter relating to the unlawful killing of Mr McDermott on the same date.
Mr McDermott was pronounced dead after police and paramedics were called to Mr Ward's home in Eton Street, Grantham, during the early hours of October 13.
Prosecutors allege Mr McDermott suffered a number of blunt and knife injuries including a stab wound to his leg which caused him to bleed to death.
Giving evidence at Lincoln Crown Court, Mr Ward told jurors he must have "lost control" after spending the night drinking and taking drugs with his close friend of 20 years.
The court heard Mr Ward had spent the week working away in Birmingham after securing a new job with National Grid.
Mr Ward told jurors he travelled back to Grantham by train with a work mate after celebrating the success of his new job with a few drinks and a double whiskey in Birmingham railway station.
On arriving in Grantham, Mr Ward said he went to look for Mr McDermott in the Reindeer pub, and then later rang him up after finding he was not there.
Mr Ward said the two men began drinking at his Eton Street home and at some point Mr McDermott went out to buy some cocaine which they both used.
Later in the evening Mr Ward said his friend also smoked crack-cocaine and asked him for £500 to buy more of the Class A drug.
Jurors heard the two men were joined by Mr McDermott's partner but by 12.40am they were once again chatting on their own.
Mr Ward said he began arguing with Mr McDermott after he looked round and noticed his work tablet computer was missing.
"I started searching in the front room, in the suitcase, and I went upstairs," Mr Ward explained.
"Me and Tony started arguing. I said 'Where's the tablet?'
"I'd shown him it earlier in the evening and he said 'it was decent'.
"He said he 'hadn't seen it' and 'I don't know what you’re talking about'. "
Mr Ward said Mr McDermott was also upset that someone else had torn his Arsenal football shirt.
"Tony punched me in the jaw, we had been friends for 20 years and never laid hands on each other.
"I punched him back in the face. We just started fighting in the dining room. It continued for a while."
Asked if he caused the blunt and incision injuries found on his friend Mr Ward replied: "I must have done, I must have lost control, I can't remember any of it."
When asked why he would do that to his friend Mr Ward said: "I don't know."
Mr Ward told jurors he did see a knife at the end when it went into Mr McDermott's leg.
"Tony came at me with the knife," Mr Ward said. "I grabbed hold of the handle.
"We've gone close to each other, I tried to rip it out of his hand, it's gone into his leg."
Mr Ward added "by accident, just by accident" and described the moment as a "reality check".
"Tony pulled it out. He sat down on the sofa beside me. We spoke for a little while. He wanted the pipe.
"The next thing I know I opened my eyes and there was blood all over the floor where there wasn't before.
"I looked to my right and Tony was no longer there. I jumped up and saw him on the floor in the hallway.
"I checked his pulse and couldn't find one so started CPR."
Mr Ward said he realised Mr McDermott was dead. "He was cold."
"I just wanted to get out of the house," Mr Ward explained, telling the jury he panicked and did not ring 999.
Jurors have heard Mr Ward made a number of calls to friends and was arrested in the Springfield Road area of Grantham shortly after 5am the same day.
The trial continues.