Ipswich murder trial: Defendant drew machete 'from fear'

Alfie Hammett, 19, and Joshua Howell, 18, have both been charged with the murder of Mr Quigley on January 17 last year in Westgate Street, as well as possession of an offensive weapon in a public place.

Hammett, of Larkhill Rise, Rushmere St Andrew, and Howell, of Wellington Street, Ipswich, both deny the charges and are on trial.

The prosecution has previously alleged that Hammett stabbed Mr Quigley, from Wymondham in Norfolk, to death while Howell held off Mr Quigley's friends with a machete.

The scene after the stabbing last January (Image: Charlotte Bond, Newsquest)

But during re-examination on Tuesday by defence barrister Stephanie Panchkowry, Howell said again that he drew the weapon as he thought one of Mr Quigley’s two friends was coming towards him and had "locked eyes" with him as the other suspect moved to attack Mr Quigley.

Howell has previously said he had no idea the other suspect, who the prosecutions say is Hammett, was going to attack Mr Quigley and that he was walking around with a machete to protect himself during drug deals he had to do that day.

He said that he lost sight of Mr Quigley as the other suspect attacked and after that “it was just fight or flight” and he “reacted out of fear more than logic.”

Howell has previously said he then pursued Mr Quigley's friend into a JD Sports shop nearby until he felt there was no longer a threat of retaliation and then ran away down Providence Lane.

CCTV was also shown in response to a juror’s previous request to verify Howell and the other suspect conducting a drug deal in an alleyway in the town before the stabbing.

Howell has said he met the other suspect to sell him drugs rather than to meet for gang activity as the prosecution have alleged.

The footage played in Howell’s defence showed the family which had originally walked into the alley just behind the pair came out of the alley around 18 seconds before he walked out with the other suspect.

The trial continues.