Court told of man's role in fatal assault

9:20am Tuesday 4th September 2001

A SCAFFOLDER, accused of instigating the savage murder of Darren Gardner, has told the Old Bailey he felt “trapped” into throwing the first punch.

Stephen Parsons, aged 22, of Elford Close, Kidbrooke, denies murdering the 35-year-old Charlton man but admits to punching him in the face and kicking him twice in the body.

He said his friends Donald Murtagh, aged 20, Michael Hann and Daniel Hall, both 19, were the main perpetrators of the horrific attack in Kelsey Park.

Parsons told the court after punching the defenceless victim he tried to stop the violent assault spiralling out of control.

He admitted: “I punched him around the jaw.

“I felt trapped. I felt pressurised into doing something I would not normally do.

“They kept saying to me: 'We can't let him get away with it'.”

The court heard how Mr Gardner was killed.

This was after he had asked Parsons' girlfriend for a pair of her knickers while in a nightclub.

He was later led to Kelsey Park by the group where he was punched and kicked to death.

Murtagh of Graveney Grove, Penge, Hall of Bargrove Close, Penge, and Hann, of Rockingham Court, Beckenham, all deny murder.

The trial continues.