Accused denies portraying alleged victim as aggressor to 'get away with murder', trial hears

A murder accused denied that he was trying to portray his alleged victim as the aggressor to ‘get away with murder’.

Salah Adam, 21, died after being knifed to the neck in Old Trafford in May last year. Two men, Demari Rose, 20, and Xavaiour Wynter, 21, are both on trial at Manchester Crown Court accused of his murder. They deny the charge.

While giving evidence in his defence, Rose has admitted being responsible for the fatal wound suffered by Mr Adam, but claims he was acting in self defence after Mr Adam attacked him with a sword. Prosecutors allege that Mr Adam was knifed following a 'heated' dispute about an incident the night before, when about 15 young men including Mr Adam’s younger brother had been arrested on suspicion of affray.

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Mr Adam was fatally stabbed in the back garden of a house next door to the Adam family home on Kings Road on May 31 last year, during an incident where two of the deceased's pals were also present. Rose denied that he had ‘tried to paint Salah Adam and his friends as the aggressors in an attempt to get away with murder’.

As he spent a third day giving evidence, Rose was cross-examined by prosecutor Guy Gozem KC. Rose admitted that he had told 'many lies' during a police interview. Asked why, Rose said: "Because I had just been arrested for murder. I had been taken to the station, in so much pain I can't even describe it.

"Then on top of that I was on a lot of medication. I wasn't feeling the best mentally and physically. I didn't know when I was going to see my family again. I didn't tell the truth, I can accept that, based on fear.

"I had just been arrested for murder. It