Snapchat murder accused acted in self defence, court hears
- Published
Kyle Walley was stabbed at his home in Rhosymedre, Wrexham
A man accused of murdering his friend claims he stabbed him in the chest in self defence, a court has heard.
Mark Jones, 20, said he was forced to turn a knife on Kyle Walley, 19, to "get him away from me" after he came at him with the blade.
Mr Jones, who denies murder, told a jury Mr Walley had tried to "chop him".
Mr Jones posted video filmed just before and after the attack on social media platform Snapchat.
The events unfolded in July 2021 when Mr Jones, of Chester Road, Wrexham, went to Mr Walley's flat in Rhosymedre, Wrexham County, to watch the Euro 2020 football finals.
They had both been drinking cider, Mr Jones said.
Mold Crown Court heard Mr Walley made slashing motions as he approached Mr Jones.
Mr Jones said he turned the knife on his friend, and told the court: "I'm not getting stabbed for no-one."
He added: "He [Mr Walley] came at me and I grabbed the knife… I struck him in the chest."
He denied injuring Mr Walley's collarbone.
The court was previously told Mr Jones posted video filmed just before and after the attack on social media platform Snapchat.
Andrew Ford KC, defending, asked if the video which showed Mr Walley clutching his chest had been taken after the incident. Mr Jones agreed it was.
"I somehow recorded it on Snapchat, I don't know why I did, it was stupid," Mr Jones said.
Mr Ford asked about footage on the site showing him kicking Mr Walley as he lay on the living room floor.
Mr Jones said: "I could see him swinging for me, I was seeing things… I was scared."
He said he was supposed to take "meds", including anti-psychotic medication, in the morning but had been taking them at night and said "voices" had come back.
Mr Jones told the court he felt "horrible" about the attack.
"It's not funny someone lying on the floor dead, it's horrible," he said.
"It went on my Snapchat story."
He told the court he spent a lot of time on Snapchat and would post through the day.
Mr Jones said he gave no comment in two police interviews as his head "was baffled" and needed his medication.
He had not meant to seriously harm Mr Walley, he said, instead saying he wanted to "get him away from me".
Mr Jones, who has previous convictions for assault and knife possession, denied being fascinated by knives.
John Philpotts, prosecuting, asked why he called Mr Walley "a nonce" as he kicked him on the floor.
"He was a sex offender, but that's not why I stabbed him," Mr Jones said, saying he kicked him because he was "psychotic".
Mr Jones insisted he only stabbed Mr Walley once.
"The police probably stabbed him the other time," he said.
He said he had not told police Mr Walley had pulled a knife on him when he was arrested because he "was really drunk".
He denied posting videos on Snapchat because he was proud of what happened and claimed threats found on Mr Walley's phone ended up there another way.
Mr Philpotts put it to Mr Jones it was not a matter of self defence and he stabbed Mr Walley twice as intended.
The case continues.
- Published7 March 2023
