Claim McGreevy killing was self defence

A Belfast man accused of murder told police he acted in self-defence, the city's crown court has been told.

Thomas Valliday, 21, is on trial for the murder of Frank "Bap" McGreevy.

The court heard that Mr Valliday, of Lady Street, claimed that Mr McGreevy had initially attacked him with a baseball bat.

A detective said that Mr Valliday showed him injuries to his legs saying: "I only hit that fellow twice. It was self-defence, look what he done to me".

In a series of police interviews in March 2008 Mr Valliday maintained that it was 51-year-old Mr McGreevy who first struck at him as he was passing his Ross Street home.

He even went further to claim that the Mr McGreevy attempted at one stage to pull him into his ground floor flat.

Blood stains

"He cracked me over the head with a bat. He trailed me like he was trying to trail me into the house," Mr Valliday told detectives.

Earlier forensic scientist Peter Barker, told the court of examining Mr McCreevy's blood-stained flat and finding three possible weapons which could have been used in the attack on him: a pick-axe handle, and two broken brush shafts, one metal, one wooden.

Mr Barker, a blood-stain expert, also revealed that not only had he recovered Mr McGreevy's DNA from various blood samples in the flat, he had also recovered Mr Valliday's DNA.

In addition DNA from both men was also recovered from a Celtic football top belonging to a man Valliday also allegedly fought with that night.

However, while Mr Barker said there was "no clear evidence of any other person" being in the flat beside Mr McGreevy and Valliday, he agreed with defence barrister Philip Magee there was no evidence that Valliday had "ever touched" any of the weapons which may have been used during the attack.

The case continues.