A FORMER friend of a man accused of murder and attempted murder has told a jury the defendant described carrying out the attacks to him.

David Kilcullen allegedly killed Gerry Edwards, 59, and attempted to kill 57-year-old Chris Bevan at their apartment in Page Heath Villas, Bickley, on March 3.

The 46-year-old, of The Avenue, Bickley, denies the charges, claiming he stabbed the couple in self-defence after they sexually assaulted him.

This afternoon Paul McKervill told a jury at the Old Bailey that Kilcullen called at his home at around 9.15pm on March 3, around two hours after he allegedly attacked Mr Edwards and Mr Bevan.

The 40-year-old, who has known Kilcullen for 20 years, said he described the attack, asked him to provide an alibi for him, and was carrying a green holdall which appeared to have something in it.

Mr McKervill said Kilcullen told him “I need an alibi. I have been with you all day”, but did not immediately explain why.

Mr McKervill added: “(Kilcullen) said ‘I need a drink. I need to be seen on CCTV.’”

He said he feared for his own safety, as Kilcullen had attacked him in the past, so he walked to a nearby off-licence with him.

On the way to the off-licence, Kilcullen stuffed the holdall into a large bin, pushing it down to the bottom.

Kilcullen did not mention why he had got rid of the holdall or needed an alibi, Mr McKervill said.

However, the two men then went to a neighbouring flat to Mr McKervill's, where a mutual friend lived, and he said Kilcullen told him what he had done.

Mr McKervill said: “He said that he went to the property where he thought it was occupied by one person (Mr Edwards), and knocked on the door and as the gentleman opened the door he said he hit the gentleman as hard as he could and knocked him to the floor and then proceeded to stab him.

“He said he had gone round to the man’s house to steal a car or because he wanted to steal the paperwork for a certain car.

“Then he said he heard footsteps coming down the stairs and then he was confronted by another man (Mr Bevan) who said ‘what do you want? We have money’.

“David told me he said ‘I do not want your money, I want your car’.

“He said the man (Mr Bevan) lunged at him so he proceeded to stab him.

“He said he could not believe the strength of the man as he was still coming at him, so he proceeded to headbutt him as hard as possible.”

Mr McKervill said Kilcullen then told him he had grabbed a wine bottle from a rack in the living room and continued to beat the man on the head.

Kilcullen did not say at what point he had left the apartment, Mr McKervill said.

On March 18 Mr McKervill told police about Kilcullen visiting him on the night of March 3, asking him to be his alibi and dumping the holdall.

However, it was not until March 30 that Mr McKervill told the police Kilcullen had described attacking Mr Edwards and Mr Bevan.

Paul Purnell, defending Kilcullen, asked Mr McKervill why he did not tell the police the whole truth straight away.

Mr McKervill said he was “terrified” of Kilcullen because of his history of violence towards him.

Dr Robert Chapman, who carried out the post-mortem examination on Mr Edwards, told the jury he had been stabbed four times and suffered a number of bruises.

He said Mr Edwards had died as a result of one of the stab wounds, which went through his sternum and into his heart.

Paramedics pronounced Mr Edwards dead at the scene of the attack.

Mr Bevan spent months in hospital in a critical condition and has still not made a full recovery.

The trial continues.