Telford murder accused insists he only used a rake to scare 'angry' neighbour in altercation
The man accused of murdering his Telford neighbour who died hours after a street altercation has denied attacking the dead man with a garden rake, saying he was just trying to "scare him" with it.
Anthony Wootton, 41, was found dead in the car park of Orient Court off Greasley Close in Woodside at around 6.30am on July 17 last year.
His death followed a physical altercation the previous evening with neighbour, 32-year-old Ashley Harris.
Harris' murder trial at Stafford Crown Court had already heard how the defendant was accused of striking Mr Wootton with a garden rake following a fight between the pair in Armstrong Close on Sunday, July 16.
The altercation occurred after Wootton is said to have attacked his girlfriend, who fled to Harris' home for help.
On Thursday, under cross-examination by prosecution counsel Mr Darron Whitehead, Harris again denied attacking Mr Wootton with the garden rake and said he had "panicked" when his "unpredictable" neighbour had approached his front door.
Asked whether he believed Mr Wootton was "after a fight", Harris replied: "I can't say he was looking for a fight, he was very angry and agitated but I can't say that when he came to my door he wanted a fight. He was unpredictable."
He told the court that he was stood by his front door when Mr Wootton approached and "backed up" as his neighbour got nearer.
"And what happened next?" asked Mr Whitehead.
