Murder accused, Paul Groves, told Chelmsford Crown Court today that his reason for going to the remote farm where William (Billy Boy) Martindale is said to have been bludgeoned to death was to tell him to calm down – to "chill out."
He admitted yesterday that he hit the self-styled gangster with a pick-axe handle and said under cross examination today he realised that was likely to cause "damage."
But he said that when he had left the scene he thought Mr Martindale was just unconscious.
He told the court that Mr Martindale had made a phone call threatening to stab his (Groves') father.
He said that, although he believed Mr Martindale was a "bully, gangster and a criminal", he went to see him to "tell him to calm down" to "chill out."
But said Mr Martindale got up and, fearing that he was going to be attacked, he hit him with the pick-axe handle.
When Simon Spence QC for the prosecution put it to him : "You couldn't really hit someone without causing any damage," he agreed.
But, while accepting that what he did was "serious violence" he told the court : "I didn't want to do any more than I had to but I didn't think too far ahead."
Yesterday he told the court that Mr Martindale had bragged to him that he was a "gangster and a criminal" and that he killed two hitmen.
Groves told the court today : "I hit him (Mr Martindale) as quick as I could to stop him from getting up. I was terrified I was going to get shot."
He said that when police arrived at his home about an hour after the incident he had not know that Mr Martindale was dead.
"I didn't really know they were there for me," he told the court.
He added that when he was told he was being arrested for murder he had asked : "Who's dead?"
"I didn't realise it was Bill who'd died, I wasn't sure. I just thought he was unconscious," he said.
He said Mr Martindale had been trying to get money from him for the equipment he had used in one crop of cannabis which hadn't worked.
Groves, 34, of Queensway, Ongar, denies murdering Mr Martindale and also inflicting grievous bodily harm on another man Paul Meeking, 54, of Barking, who was there that evening with Mr Martindale.
The attack is alleged to have taken place at his smallholding at Meadow View Farm, High Ongar, on 7 September last year.
The hearing continues.
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