A MURDER victim had previously given an alibi to the man later accused of killing him, a court has heard.

Tomasz Bubrowski is accused of being part of a gang which ambushed 39-year-old Sebastian Zuchlinski in Davenport Street, Bolton, on the evening of February 6 last year and stabbed him to death.

He denies murder and a jury at Bolton Crown Court has heard how Mr Zuchlinski once gave Bubrowski’s solicitors a statement as they prepared his defence against an accusation of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

The court was told that 39-year-old Bubrowski was accused of wounding Dariusz Napirerala on December 14, 2014 and was convicted following a trial in June last year.

But Bubrowski continues to maintain his innocence, claiming a witness had deliberately lied in order to have him wrongly convicted.

When questioned by police about the wounding, Bubrowski named Sebastian Zuchlinski and Mr Zuchlinski’s partner, Ewa Bubrowska, also known as Anna, as alibi witnesses.

He claimed that, at the time of the assault on Mr Napirerala, he was with the couple and others in Vernon Street celebrating Mr Zuchlinski’s birthday.

When interviewed by police about the murder of Mr Zuchlinski, Bubrowski, of Cavendish Gardens, refused to answer any questions or account for what he had been doing on the evening of the killing.

But in court yesterday he began giving evidence from the witness box.

Questioned by Benjamin Myers QC, Bubrowski told the jury he was born in Poland and, one of nine siblings, he left school at the age of 11 with no qualifications and began working as a painter with his father.

He added that he came to England to work in March, 2005 with his partner and two children and has previously found employment as a painter and in a bakery.

But Bubrowski added that the 20-year relationship with Henryka Kutyba failed and, for a almost a year before the death of Mr Zuchlinski, he had been living at Cavendish Gardens, Bolton, with his girlfriend Zaneta Putitowska and her two children.

Speaking through an interpreter, Bubrowski said: “Around two weeks before the event she left the accommodation because we had an argument, to live with her mother in Cawdor Street.”

He added that on Saturday, February 6 last year he was faced with being homeless as the lease was up on his Cavendish Road home two days later.

He stressed that he turned to a man named Mateusz Madej, who he had previously met at Ms Kutyba’s home, asking if he could stay at his City View apartment in Salford.

“I can’t say it was a friendship but were were getting on fine,” he said.

“He suggested ‘yeah, no problem’.”

The jury was previously shown video footage, taken on the night of the murder, of Bubrowski and Madej arriving at the City View apartments carrying belongings.

The pair, along with several others who were later released without charge, were arrested at the same apartments on February 12.

Madej was given police bail. He subsequently absconded and is still being sought by police.

Bubrowksi denies murder and is expected to continue giving evidence today.

The trial continues.