A MURDER suspect said his "whole world collapsed" when he realised his cousin's estranged husband had died after a fight with him.

Carl Hodgkiss said he held his fist against Marc Jepson's throat to restrain him as he was worried about being stabbed with a pair of scissors.

He told Manchester Crown Court how Mr Jepson's arms eventually dropped and that he tried to resuscitate him.

Hodgkiss had walked round to Mr Jepson's Kildaire Street home in Farnworth at about 11pm on March 4 this year to tell him to leave town.

His cousin Sandra Jepson, Mr Jepson's wife, had asked him to go round earlier in the day, following a split which Hodgkiss told the court had been "very bad".

Hodgkiss said he had fled "sick and terrified" to the nearby home of Irene Hodgkiss, his aunt, when he realising Mr Jepson was dead.

He grabbed the pair of scissors and the parts of his broken mobile phone before leaving.

Mr Jepson's body was discovered the following day by neighbours, which prompted a murder investigation.

The court heard how Hodgkiss, a mechanic who had been friends with Mr Jepson at one time, had left his house on March 4 with his three children in bed and girlfriend Kirsty Openshaw having a bath.

As well as visiting Mr Jepson on Sandra's instructions, Hodgkiss told the court he was planning to fuel his growing cocaine habit by buying some drugs, but did not complete the purchase.

Upon arriving at Mr Jepson's house, Hodgkiss said he was given a "brew" by his host and did not know how to start the conversation.

Hodgkiss said: "The atmosphere was tense and I think he knew what I was there for."

He described how Mr Jepson "launched at him" and they both swung out at each other before Hodgkiss pushed him on to a sofa.

He grabbed his arm as Mr Jepson had picked up a pair of scissors from a table nearby.

Hodgkiss said he slipped on the floor and he and Mr Jepson were then "scrapping" on the ground.

Hodgkiss added: "I have shoved him down and gone on top of him.

"That is when I put my fist on his throat. I wanted to keep him away and then his arms just dropped."

Under questioning from his defence counsel Benjamin Myers QC, Hodgkiss admitted to punching Mr Jepson but denied setting out to kill him.

He said he looked for a pulse by putting two fingers to his neck and then tried to administer CPR but Mr Jepson's chest just collapsed.

Mr Myers asked: "How did you feel?"

Hodgkiss said: "Panic, fear, sick. Because he has died and because of what has just gone on.

"My whole world has just collapsed. I never went round to fight him."

Hodgkiss did admit that he anticipated Mr Jepson "not to like" it when he told him to "leave Bolton by Friday".

The court heard the victim, a handyman, and Hodgkiss, a mechanic, had worked together in the past.

Carl Hodgkiss, aged 28, of Elton Avenue, Farnworth denies murder, conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to commit GBH.

Irene Hodgkiss, aged 63, of Firwood Avenue, Farnworth, denies the latter two charges.

The trial continues.