Buckley murder accused gives evidence during trial

Jamie Mitchell, aged 25 and of Lexham Green Close in Buckley, denies murdering Steven Wilkinson in an incident in October last year.

On Tuesday, Mitchell took to the stand himself to answer questions about the allegation.

He was first questioned by defending counsel Gordon Cole KC.

Regarding the day of the fatal incident, October 4 last year, Mitchell claimed a knife found in his room by the victim's sister - and subsequently put under a pile of clothes by him - had been there because he'd taken to self-harming following the death of a friend the year before.

He recounted the events immediately leading up to the incident itself, which started when a window at his home was smashed.

He said: "I went downstairs to see what had happened.

"There was glass everywhere, I panicked, went upstairs to get ready.

"I was scared people were outside.

READ MORE: Steven Wilkinson's stab wound was 'un-survivable from the moment it was inflicted'

"I got dressed, and from underneath the pile of clothes - I picked up the knife."

He said he took the blade in case those responsible had weapons, and that he didn't intend to use it on anyone, but wanted to tell those responsible to stop. 

Mitchell claimed he spotted two people as he neared Home Bargains, and heard one of them shout his name.

As he approached they ran, he said, prompting him to believe they were responsible for the damage and not recognising either of them at that point.

He described taking the knife out of his pocket and following: "I started running after them. I thought they were trying to set me up, [that] I was going to get assaulted.

"The two split up. The nearest one to me; I followed where they were going.. into Jubilee Court."

Mr Cole KC asked Mitchell if there came a time when he realised the man he was chasing was Steven Wilkinson.

"Only when we got into the second alleyway and he turned round," he said.

Asked about how the victim sustained the fatal injury, Mitchell claimed Mr Wilkinson ran towards him and he had turned sideways to let him pass.

He said he didn't recall what caused the knife to go into Mr Wilkinson, and asked directly whether he deliberately stabbed him, the defendant said "no."

Mitchell claimed to have put the bloody knife in the sink when he got home, and couldn't remember washing it.

Michael Jones KC, prosecuting, asked the defendant about an incident which happened the day before the stabbing at a Spar store in Buckley.

Staff had heard Mitchell "aggressively" tell the victim to pay debts he owed.

But the defendant denied he'd behaved in that way, asserting that despite their friendship breaking down and the victim owing him money for concert tickets and a hotel he'd paid for previously, he still "considered him a friend."

On the events of the following night, Mitchell told Mr Jones KC he'd gone out with the knife to scare off those who caused the damage.

Make sure you don't miss the top court stories of the week by signing up to our free court newsletter

But Mr Jones said he'd 'done his job' when he caused Mr Wilkinson and Mr Spencer to run, and asked why he then pursued them with the knife.

Mitchell said he was "scared."

"You were chasing a man you didn't know with a kitchen knife because you were scared?" Mr Jones KC said.

"You've got no answer to this do you? You chased Steven to stab him didn't you?"

"No," The defendant said.

The trial continues.