A MAN accused of murdering Christopher Lemonius in a Blackbird Leys alleyway told police he was not at the scene and had ran off in panic when another gang had set upon his friends.

As the trial into the killing of the 27-year old continued at Oxford Crown Court yesterday jurors heard a police transcript from the first arrest interview of Jason Needham.

The 27-year old from Kingsland Court, Luton, is alleged to have been party to the violence at Jourdain Road on June 1 last year in which Mr Lemonius was left for dead.

Prosecutors allege that he formed part of a gang that ‘hacked and beat’ him to death in an alleyway.

Yesterday prosecutor Michael Roques and police witness Debra North read out the first police interview between Needham and police officers that took place at Abingdon police station on June 23 last year.

Describing the events that led up to the killing Needham told police that the mood had been positive that night and that Needham along with others had just been at The Leys CDI community centre working on a music project.

He told police that he had drank a number of small whiskey bottles and on a scales of one to 10 he felt he was ‘either seven or eight’ in terms of how drunk he was.

Needham said that the first he knew something was wrong was when he went to Blackbird Leys Park and saw a group of men entering and setting upon his friends.

He told police: “We were all drinking and then a group of lads came out of somewhere. A group of lads came out and they all had these things in their hands.

“I then panicked and ran. From that its a myth to me the rest of the night.”

The court heard that he told police at interview that after the group appeared in the park he quickly left the scene and went to a house at nearby Reedmace Close, where he continued drinking with a friend.

When asked by officers if he was ever at the alleyway or had any involvement in the murder of Mr Lemonius, the court herd, he stressed that he was not present at the scene.

Asked how many of the opposing group he had seen in the park he said there had been about 10 people and said they had been armed with weapons.

Asked about what he heard during the apparent violence he told police: “I started panicking, I am not really paying attention to what is being said, I am paying attention to who is running at me.”

He added: “I was scared for my life, I didn’t want to get beaten up so I ran out of fear.”

Prosecutors allege that Needham was part of a gang that inflicted a ‘savage’ attack on Mr Lemonius with numerous weapons, leading to his death.

Needham denies any involvement in the killing and trial continues.