A DEFENDANT in a murder trial has told a jury how he twice strangled a stranger and hit him many times with his feet, hands and a weapon.

Adam Hudson, 41, claimed he choked Francis McNally, 35, with a pair of pyjama bottoms until he “went blue”.

He alleged he stamped on the other man’s face at least three times, struck him on the side of his head with part of a vacuum cleaner three or four times and punched his face three times.

When the prosecution accused him of wanting to cause Mr McNally serious harm, he replied: "It wasn't my intention. I didn't go that day to cause injury to anyone."

He claimed he had never seen Mr McNally until the day he died and regretted his actions.

He also claimed he had stolen Mr McNally’s wallet and phone shortly before the attack and had tried to use his bank card at a nearby off-licence.

The jury has heard how police found Mr McNally’s body on the floor of Curtis Turpin’s living room in Markham Crescent, off Haxby Road, on October 27, 2021, and Hudson and Turpin asleep on the floor of the flat’s bedroom.

Hudson, of Rowntree Avenue, Clifton, and Turpin, 35, both deny murdering Mr McNally by killing him and intending to kill him or cause him really serious harm. Hudson has admitted manslaughter, which is killing a man without meaning to harm him seriously.

Giving evidence at Leeds Crown Court, Hudson alleged he had been drinking and taking prescription drugs and Xanax in the hours before Mr McNally’s death.

“If I wasn’t in the state I was, this wouldn’t have happened,” he alleged.

He claimed he knew Xanax mixed with alcohol could make him aggressive.

He also claimed that Turpin had not been violent to Mr McNally in any way.

He alleged he had apologised to his co-accused several times in prison where both are on remand.

The jury heard when he was arrested, Hudson alleged Turpin was responsible for the attack on Mr McNally and had stamped on the victim.

The prosecution alleges both men are responsible for the murder of Mr McNally and that Turpin has a history of strangling people.

“Are you frightened of Mr Turpin?” prosecution barrister Nicholas Lumley asked him.

“No, I think it is the other way round,” replied Hudson. “Curtis isn’t a fighter, he never has been.”

Both men told the jury at Leeds Crown Court they were long-term friends and had gone to Turpin’s flat in the early afternoon to find Mr McNally asleep on the floor. He had spent the previous night at the flat with Turpin’s consent.

Turpin alleged that he had seen Hudson “jab” Mr McNally with part of a vacuum cleaner before going into the bedroom and falling asleep.

He denied attacking Mr McNally himself.

He claimed: “I don’t go around strangling people.”

He alleged he wasn't a fighter so he had to "restrain" people instead in violent situations.

Both men deny prosecution suggestions that they had “punished” Mr McNally for not leaving the flat when Turpin wanted him to leave.

The trial continues.