The man charged with murdering Abdul Deghayes in Brighton told a jury this morning: “I accept that it was my responsibility for causing his death.”
Daniel Macleod, 37, said: “Throughout that whole incident I never saw any blood although I’ve seen the pictures showing how awful his injuries were.
“I don’t know how he sustained all those injuries but I accept that they were all caused in that two-minute window. It happened very quickly.
“It was an unpredictable situation. It unfolded very quickly. I accept that I caused all those injuries in that short space of time.
“I didn’t mean to hurt him or to cause him any serious injury. The whole of this situation is a dreadful situation.”
In cross-examination at Southwark Crown Court today (Monday 28 September), Adam Feest, prosecuting, asked: “How many times did you stab an unarmed man.”
Macleod, of Gipsy Road, south London, said: “I don’t know.”
Mr Feest said: “Did you stab an unarmed man who was lying on his back on the floor?”
Macleod said: “No, Mr Feest. That’s very harsh. I’m not capable of such a barbaric act.”
Mr Feest said: “Did you stab him while he was running away?”
Macleod said: “No.”
Mr Feest said: “In eight separate stabbing motions, you injured Abdul Deghayes.”
Macleod said: “I have to accept that … I feel awful about that. I feel awful about the whole situation.
“I went get a breathing space to run off. That’s just barbaric, disgusting. I feel awful about it.
“It was survival of the fittest – self-preservation (but) I didn’t have time to review the situation or process my reactions.”
Mr Feest said: “You chose to stab him in the leg rather than threaten him with the knife?”
