'It was never my intention to end his life,' Ross Ashcroft charged with murder of Carlton Alexander tells court

Ross Ashcroft denies the murder and manslaughter of Carlton Alexander at a house on Brightmeadow Close, Breightmet, in December last year.

Manchester Crown Court heard Mr Alexander hit him on the left eye with a weapon and Ashcroft stabbed him twice. He died in hospital less than two hours later.

Ashcroft, aged 31, of no fixed address, said in his statement “I remember thinking ‘he is going to kill me, so I lunged out at Carlton Alexander to get him off me." He added: “It was never my intention to end his life.”

Ashcroft had been socialising with his three friends, Lee Higgins, Damien Washbrook and Ian Parr at the Corner Club in Bolton town centre when Mr Alexander’s girlfriend, Keshia Seaton, invited the four men back to her home in Brightmeadow Close.

She was old friends with all four except Ashcroft and, as the group were catching up in Miss Seaton’s kitchen at around 3.30am on December 13, Mr Alexander arrived. He saw that Ashcroft and Mr Parr were bare chested as their shirts had been stained by wine and were being washed in Miss Seaton’s washing machine.

Mr Alexander, aged 23, left and returned 30 minutes later with his friend, Stephen Nambwe.

One of them was carrying a dumbbell bar and Mr Alexander hit Ashcroft twice over the head with the bar, before Ashcroft fatally stabbed Mr Alexander.

Ashcroft’s statement said: “He said something like ‘get the f*** out of my bird’s house. You’re taking the p***.’ I replied: ‘Chill out, it’s not what you think.’ After Carlton Alexander left, I wanted to leave, but couldn’t because the washing machine door wouldn’t open and had seven minutes left. It was a somewhat embarrassing situation.”

Ashworth said he put a coat on over his bare chest, ready to leave – and Mr Alexander came “bursting” through the back door with Mr Nambwe.

Seeing that one of the men had a weapon, Ashcroft “grabbed the nearest thing, which was a kitchen knife,” the statement said.

He added: “My instincts told me to run and get out of the address.”

Ashcroft described being hit on the head with a bar as he was running off and he fell to the floor.

He recalled being lifted up, but was not sure who was lifting him.

Ashcroft heard Mr Washbrook shouting “get off him.”

After a few seconds of feeling “wobbly”, Ashcroft continued running – until he saw Mr Washbrook out of the corner of his eye. At that point he slowed, stopped and turned, thinking he was no longer being chased.

In a subsequent police interview, Ashcroft expressed frustration at being asked repeatedly why he stopped running.

In response, Det Con Keith Thompson, told him: “These three or four seconds are the difference between self-defence, murder and manslaughter in court. These three or four seconds are possibly the most important seconds of your life.”

A written statement from Miss Seaton’s friend Charlene Morgan was also read out.

On December 12, Miss Morgan went with Miss Seaton to a Christmas party for employees of E.ON at the Macron Stadium in Horwich.

After the pair parted, Miss Morgan got a taxi to Miss Seaton’s house after Miss Seaton called her to say: “Carlton is going mad.”

Miss Morgan arrived and saw Mr Alexander lying injured on the floor, being nursed by Mr Nambwe.

Proceeding.