A TEARY-eyed killer accused of a brutal murder revealed his ‘lonely’ victim wielded the deadly weapon at him, jurors have heard.

Michael Danaher removed his glasses, brushed away his tears and looked on towards jurors as his childhood friend gave evidence in his trial.

The 50-year-old denies murdering Adrian Greenwood in his East Oxford home but claims he killed him in self-defence on April 6.

Taking the stand at Oxford Crown Court yesterday, Michael Gilnagh recalled the moment Danaher spoke about the killing while locked up at Woodhill Prison.

The witness said he rushed to see his friend, arriving for the two-hour visit to hear Danaher say “it’s not as bad as it seems”.

Father-of-two Danaher, from Hadrians Court, Peterborough, then revealed he had previous 'dealings’ with Mr Greenwood before meeting at at his Iffley Road home on the day of the alleged murder, Mr Gilnagh said.

He told jurors the defendant claimed the pair were arguing when Mr Greenwood fled to another room, clasping a blade when he returned. The witness said Danaher explained he grabbed the knife before punching Mr Greenwood, adding: “[Danaher] was getting very tearful in himself. I did not press him any further than that.”

When quizzed by defence barrister Amjad Malik QC, Mr Gilnagh said his friend had an ‘ornate’ sense of humour, looking on the bright side of things when he made jokes.

Mr Malik asked the witness: “In the time you have known him, you have never ever seen him physically hurt anybody have you.”
Mr Gilnagh replied: “No, not at all.”

In a statement read to the court, Evelyn Altemeyer branded ex-partner Mr Greenwood as ‘venomous’, claiming the Christ Church graduate had a short fuse.

She said he would often return home with a black eye after getting into fights over ‘nothing’ and was ‘really aggressive’ at times during their seven-year relationship.

During the trial, the jury of eight men and four women heard Mr Greenwood’s name featured on a list of high-profile people the prosecution allege Danaher was plotting to rob, kidnap or blackmail.

Mr Saxby told the court the alleged murder was sparked by Danaher’s interest in Mr Greenwood’s rare first edition of The Wind in the Willows, worth about £50,000.

The prosecutor said ‘defenceless’ Mr Greenwood, who bought and sold rare books, was left with 33 puncture and stab wounds, all believed to have been caused by the blade found at Danaher’s home.
The trial continues.