A murder accused has told his trial jury that he went out and bought a knife in an army surplus store and then stabbed his girlfriend's ex-partner because he was scared that he was going to be attacked and because he "lost it" in a fight.
At the Central Criminal Court yesterday, Mr Isuf Kryzi, a.k.a. Ismet Ceka, an Albanian Kosovar, of Manor Street, Waterford, was giving evidence in his own defence.
Mr Kryzi (35) has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mr Thomas McAuley (44), Farrington Court, Ardoyne, Belfast, on August 13th 2001 at Manor Street, Waterford.
Mr McAuley died after being stabbed six times, once fatally, during an argument with Mr Kryzi.
Speaking with the assistance of a translator, the accused man admitted that earlier in the day on which the stabbing occurred he went to an army surplus store, bought a knife and strapped it to his leg. He said that he bought it because he was "very, very scared".
"The only thing in my head was to protect myself, because I knew I was going to be attacked", he told his counsel, Mr John O'Kelly SC.
As he went towards a pub in Manor Street, he saw Thomas McAuley "shouting and screaming" at him. "I was very scared when I saw him running towards me and I thought he was going to harm me," he said, "because I remember seeing him put his hand in his pocket while he was running towards me."
Under cross-examination by Mr Edward Comyn SC, prosecuting, Mr Kryzi agreed that he was saying he thought Mr McAuley was about to pull a weapon. "I didn't know at this stage if he had a gun or a knife with him", he said.
He said that the deceased man ran towards him and grabbed his jacket. He accepted that when the fight began there was "no weapon whatsoever in the hands of the deceased". He also agreed that at no time during the struggle did the deceased man use a weapon.
He accepted that he was angry and annoyed at allegations Mr McAuley had made against him, but he said he was scared also.
He agreed with Mr Comyn that when he ran away from the scene he left Mr McAuley lying "lifeless" on the ground. He told his own counsel, Mr O'Kelly, that the fight lasted maybe one minute, but was in any case "very, very quick".
Mr Kryzi also told the court that Mr McAuley had told him he was in the IRA. Thomas McAuley had assaulted him not long before the fatal stabbing, he said. He had "made his life hell" and had threatened to kill him.
The court has already heard that the deceased man had a relationship with Ms Samantha O'Brien, and they had a daughter, Dineke. After the relationship ended, Ms O'Brien began a new relationship with Mr Kryzi.
The trial continues on Monday afternoon before Mr Justice Carney and a jury.