A CONVICTED killer blamed for the murder of a restaurant worker almost 18 years ago has admitted he hit him with a home-made bat, but denied stabbing him.
Andrew Coulter, 35, was giving evidence at the murder trial at the High Court in Glasgow of his uncle Ronnie Coulter, 48, who denies the charge and blames him and another man, David Montgomery, for the killing of Surjit Singh Chhokar, 32, on November 4, 1998.
Andrew Coulter and Mr Montgomery were put on trial and acquitted in 2000.
Andrew Coulter served six years in prison for the culpable homicide of another man in an unrelated attack in 1999 and also has a conviction for possessing a knife from 2006.
He denied taking a blade when he went with his uncle, murder accused Ronnie Coulter, and Mr Montgomery to meet Mr Chhokar in an argument over a stolen Giro cheque at about 11.30pm that night.
Andrew Coulter said he threatened to break Mr Chhokar’s legs and told the jury he was “trying to act the hard man” during an incident outside the restaurant worker’s partner’s home in Overtown, North Lanarkshire.
He also told the court that he had wanted to give Mr Chhokar a “battering”.
But under cross-examination by Alex Prentice QC, prosecuting, Andrew Coulter was asked: “Did you stab Chhokar?”
He replied: “No. I hit him with a bat. I never stabbed him.”
Jurors heard that as Mr Chhokar arrived home from his shift, carrying an Irn-Bru bottle and a takeaway, Andrew Coulter, David Coulter and David Montgomery walked down a path towards him.
Andrew Coulter said: “He (Mr Chhokar) swung the bottle at me and missed me. I struck him with the bat on his arm.”
Andrew Coulter said that he then slipped and fell and his view of the street was impeded by the garden gate.
He added: “David went to pick me up and I did not see where Ronnie was.”
Mr Prentice, prosecuting, asked how Mr Chhokar appeared and Andrew Coulter replied: “He looked all right he didn’t seem to be injured or nothing.
“He was walking. Liz Bryce [Mr Chhokkar’s partner] came out shouting.”
He said the last time he saw his uncle Ronnie Coulter was seconds before he fell.
Andrew Coulter added: “Ronnie just disappeared.”
When asked what he thought had happened that night Andrew Coulter said: “Nothing. That was it. Just assault.”
Mr Prentice then asked: “Did you think he was injured in any way?” and he replied: “No. He didn’t look as if he was injured in any way.”
Ronnie Coulter, from Wishaw, denies murdering Surjit Singh Chhokar, of Overtown, by stabbing him.
Ronnie Coulter has lodged a special defence blaming his nephew Andrew Coulter and David Montgomery.
He also denies forging a Giro cheque and stealing a cooker from Mr Chhokar’s flat.
The trial before judge Lord Matthews continues.
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