'Someone tried to rape me and I've killed them': Forest Bank prison officer murdered friend during 40th birthday party, trial hears

A prison officer accused of murdering a friend on his 40th birthday by strangling him to death feared he was going to be 'raped or sexually assaulted', jurors have been told.

James Johnson, 29, killed David Toulson by putting him in a 'deliberate and dangerous chokehold' during a 'debauched' celebration with two other friends at Mr Toulson's flat in Salford on June 25 last year, prosecutors allege. Mr Johnson denies murder.

The first day of his trial at Manchester Crown Court heard he claims he acted in 'self-defence' after Mr Toulson 'started dragging him towards the bedroom' when he was being sick in the toilet.

In the first of two 999 calls made by Mr Johnson, the court heard he said: "Someone tried to rape me and I've killed them", adding in a second: “I think I’ve killed my friend."

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Opening the case, Andrew Ford KC said Mr Toulson's birthday 'should have been a day of fun and celebration' and that 'indeed it started that way.'

He said in the morning Mr Johnson and his then housemate, a fellow prison officer at HMP Forest Bank in Salford called Ellie Smith, went to Mr Toulson's flat along with a second woman, Nikki Burns.

The four knew each other through a hiking group and 'the fact that they had stressful jobs and a mutual love of hiking made them get on with each other well', Mr Ford told the jury.

The pair were part of a WhatsApp group called 'Meandering Babies' and as well as supporting each other and making plans for the birthday celebration, Mr Ford said messages from the group showed some 'sexualised banter' between Mr Toulson, who was a gay man, and Mr Johnson, who the court was told is straight.

The defence