Accused blames woman for man's murder

Ricky Gelardo told a jury at Leeds Crown Court it was Karen Stubbings, not he, who had punched and stamped on Alan Atkin at his home in Swan Court, Scarborough, claiming he tried to stop her.

He said he did not tell police that when he was arrested for the murder because he did not "grass" and that she was the one now lying by saying he did it.

Gelardo, 29, who at the time was staying at the home of Miss Stubbings in Lismore Road, Scarborough, denies the murder of wheelchair-bound Mr Atkin, 62.

He had been out drinking that night with Miss Stubbings, a friend of his mother's, before she decided to see her sister, Janet, who she thought was staying with Mr Atkin.

They went to his flat in the early hours. She was not there but Miss Stubbings was given some cider to drink and so they stayed.

He said he dozed off and woke to find her arguing with Mr Atkin and shouting at him. He was telling her to get out and was bleeding from his nose.

He stepped in to prevent further trouble and pushed Miss Stubbings away but said at that point Mr Atkin produced a knife and lunged at him. "I had to jump back out of the way."

He said he disarmed him and put the knife on a nearby unit but as he did so "I heard Alan cry out, she'd hit him again. I turned round and he had fallen out of bed".

When he told her to behave she said: "I'm going to do him in" or "I'm going to do him".

Gelardo said he tried to take hold of her but she pushed him away and kicked Mr Atkin hard in the head "so you could hear it".

He did then push her away and she went into the kitchen and began throwing the man's wheelchair around.

He got blood on him trying to help Mr Atkin, who refused his aid. He went to wash but then heard further violence and saw Miss Stubbings stamping on him.

When he grabbed her she was going mad "kicking him and kicking me". He smashed a buddha ornament on the floor to shock her into stopping before they both left.

He told his counsel Franz Muller QC he had not killed Mr Atkin. "I would never ever hurt someone like him. I should have told the police it was Karen."

He denied under cross-examination by Andrew Robertson QC, prosecuting, that he was "an accomplished and persistent liar" and was the attacker that night.

The trial continues.