Murder trial defendant Karl Quincey told a jury yesterday: “I didn’t kill Barry Cooper.”

The 33-year-old, of Longcroft Avenue, Devizes, is charged with the murder of Mr Cooper, 28, of Eastleigh Road, Devizes, after Mr Cooper died of multiple stab wounds to the neck.

The prosecution told the jury at Winchester Crown Court that Quincey stabbed Mr Cooper in the passageway of a block of flats in Victoria Road, Devizes, on June 27 last year because he was angry that Mr Cooper had accused him of committing a burglary at Jimmy Waite’s flat nearby.

But Quincey told the jury that he had not been angry with Mr Cooper and had not carried out the attack.

The jury was told yesterday that Quincey has a previous conviction for stabbing a man in the head.

The seven-woman, five-man jury was told by junior prosecution counsel Ian Lawrie that Quincey pleaded guilty to a charge of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm to James Negus in Peterbor-ough on December 12, 2002.

The court was told yesterday he was staying in a flat and heard a disturbance. He went to help a woman who was shouting for help. Quincey stabbed Mr Negus twice in the head, four times in the back of the neck and kicked him twice in the head. The weapon was a 4ins kitchen knife.

The court was told Quincey intended to act in self defence as the victim had kicked in the front door of the flat but he accepts he was armed with a knife and went beyond what was reasonably necessary. The judge, His Honour Judge Guy Boney QC, told the jury yesterday he will direct them on this previous conviction at the end of the trial but said to approach the matter with “a considerable degree of care”.

In cross examination Quincey denied telling PC Tom Kinderman he killed Mr Cooper.

Stuart Jones QC, prosecuting, in his closing speech to the jury, said Quincey had earlier lied in the witness box. He said Quincey had accused six witnesses of lying to incriminate him. He said: “The idea that these people have got things so dreadfully wrong or got their heads together to falsely incriminate the defendant is too incredible to contemplate.”

Mr Jones said the reason Quincey changed his clothes at the Comleys’ house in Longcroft Avenue was that he was the murderer and he had blood on his clothes.

The trial had been delayed for two days after one of the jurors broke her ankle at the weekend. No evidence was heard on Monday or Tuesday while officials waited for a more accessible courtroom for the injured juror to become available.

The defence barrister will give his closing speech tomorrow followed by the judge’s summing up. The jury is expected to go out to consider a verdict on Friday.

The trial continues