A man accused of killing Mark Noke broke down in court and told the jury 'I ain't a murderer'. 

An emotional Bradley O'Dell had his head in his hands at the end of a day of questioning where he claimed he had seen his co-defendant, Keiran Claffey, holding a bloody knife. 

He told the jury: "I ain't a murderer. I ain't murdered no one" before the trial was adjourned. 

The 22-year-old is accused of being part of a group that went to Mark Noke's Thornhill flat by mistake during an attempted robbery to steal cash and drugs. 

But O'Dell said as soon as Mark Noke, 64, opened the door, he "panicked" and ran, adding: "I was scared because we'd got caught."

Daily Echo: Police at the front door of the flat where O'Dell claims he saw Claffey with the knife.Police at the front door of the flat where O'Dell claims he saw Claffey with the knife. (Image: Solent News)

He claimed that he got to the bottom of the block of flats in Warburton Road where he saw Claffey holding a "knife with blood on it" so he "ran away home". 

O'Dell went on to claim that he returned to the block some hours later with his co-accused Aaron Morgan "to check if this man is okay".

He said he went to sleep but the next day, February 25, 2023, Claffey and Leighton Tabone came to his dad's home. 

"Claffey said the man's dead and that we all need to stick together and shut our mouths", he said.

"I wanted to come forward and tell the truth but I was scared.

"I am labelled a grass. I have been attacked twice for what I am saying today.

"I've been stabbed myself in prison. I had my nose broken.

"I hope that poor man's family get justice for what happened, I really do." 

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But Claffey's barrister, Brian St Lous KC accused O'Dell of "trying to pull the wool over the eyes of the jury". 

He claimed O'Dell has a "grudge" against Mr Claffey because he had been sleeping with his girlfriend. 

O'Dell denied this.

Mr St Louis told O'Dell: "I suggest that you and Mr Morgan had put your heads together in order to blame Mr Claffey as having a knife and stabbing Mr Noke."

O'Dell responded: "If I wasn't telling the truth, why am I getting attacked? Your client killed the person, not us."

He accepted that Morgan is his cellmate in prison.

O'Dell of West Park Road; Keiran Claffey, 29, of Keynsham Road; Aaron Morgan, 32, of Bursledon Road; Justin Roach, 40, of Chapel Road and Leighton Tabone, 24, of no fixed address, deny murder and manslaughter.

Morgan, O’Dell, Roach and Tabone deny conspiracy to rob.

Claffey has already pleaded guilty to this charge.

The trial continues.