Man accused of murdering Rico Burton tells jury he 'just wanted to get taxi home'

A man accused of stabbing a 31-year-old man in a brawl outside a bar in a town centre has told a court he “just wanted to get a taxi home”. A jury at Manchester Crown Court has heard that Liam O’Pray is accused of murdering Rico Burton, 31, in Altrincham town centre during the early hours of August 21 of last year.

On Wednesday (July 12) Mr O’Pray, under questioning from defence barrister Nina Grahame KC, told the court about an incident a few months prior to this, in Manchester, where Mr O’Pray had been stabbed. Following that incident, where he had been injured, he bought a lock knife which he said he used for work.

On the night of August 21 last year he arranged to meet up with friends he had not seen since he had been stabbed months before. Mr O’Pray first met two girls at a Tiki bar in Altrincham where they drank some cocktails and had simply planned to “have a good night”.

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Asked why he had the knife on that night he said: “I’m scared about going out and the same situation like last time, I had it on me for more protection. So if anything did happen I could deter it.”

The court also heard that he had three bags of cocaine on him which he had bought the night before, but he said he had not done any that night, only the night before to “try it”. This was in case he went to a house party, which he thought he would be doing, he told the jury.

After being in the Tiki bar for around an hour he went and met friends at the King George pub nearby. After one beer here he stopped drinking, the jury heard, and “was just having a good time,” he said.

The group drove to Wythenshawe and Sale before splitting up and going back to Altrincham in the early