Justin Griffith trial: Day 20 at Winchester Crown Court

As previously reported, Justin Griffith, 42, is standing trial, accused of murdering Sean Ember, a 35-year-old father from Andover who was stabbed on November 29, last year, in Arcaro Road.

On Day 21 of the trial, on Wednesday, June 4, Griffith continued to give evidence, recounting the events of the night of the murder from his point of view.

Winchester Crown Court heard that on the night of the murder, Justin Griffith had returned to Arcaro Road after visiting a friend in prison at HMP Guys Marsh.

Griffith said that when he arrived back, Sean Ember and Fynn Richardson were "by far " in the armchair next to the connection to the kitchen, both standing up. There were four packets of cocaine on the arm of the armchair and they were both stood around that."

He explained that he initially thought the pair were arguing about money.

He then said that he opened a beer and then went upstairs to the toilet.

Griffith told defence barrister Andrew Bird KC that he remembers hearing Fynn Richardson say to Sean Ember: "Oi give us those bags here."

While he was on the toilet, he continued to hear the argument through the thin walls of the house.

He said: "I could hear voices raised. After about five minutes or so, Fynn Richardson's voice raised a lot higher.

"At the time, I thought it was 'where's my money' along those lines, I thought what he was referring to at the time was money.

"There was four bags down there, I didn't think he was talking about the four bags because they were right there.

"After about 10 minutes, I finished, came downstairs slowly to try and listen I couldn't tell if it was physical [confrontation], it could have been.

"It went quiet for about five seconds, and I heard Sean say 'You've stabbed me, I'm bleeding, I'm bleeding'.

"At that point, I come to the bottom of the stairs, Fynn was in the kitchen at this point. Fynn was stood, just in front of  the doorway facing into the kitchen, Sean was at the back of the kitchen facing towards me and Fynn, just to the right of the worktop area."

Mr Bird asked: "When you came down and saw them in the kitchen, how would you describe Fynn's condition?"

Griffith replied: "He was in rage.

"Sean had his hand on his chest and he was saying 'f*ck I need help' - I couldn't work out what had happened - He [Fynn] was in rage, something had switched in him, it was at that point, I called my nephew."

Griffith said that he called his nephew, Sean Griffith, in an attempt to defuse the situation.

He described the call to Sean Griffith as "a mistake," and it did not have the intended effect.

Describing what happened next, Griffith said: "I was by the table, I'd squeezed past Fynn on the right-hand side. Sean was by the back door and Fynn was in front of the door, like a triangle

"Fynn was pacing between where me and him were stood.

"I think Sean at this point saw a gap to get towards the door, and at this point they're only about a foot away from each other.

"Fynn's turned around, facing him, and he raised the knife and poked it into his neck. All in one motion, just pushed it in.

"I remember I shouted out to my nephew 'he's f****** stabbed him'. And he said 'you already told me that,' but he didn't realise it was a second time.

"It was horrific, it was so quick, and blood started coming out, it wasn't spraying out, it just came out with the knife."

Griffith then explained that a cover story, about a third-party intruder, was devised by Fynn Richardson.

He said: "Fynn was in rage still, I don't think it had sunk in what he's done. I don't know if he [Sean Ember] was alive at that point, he didn't look like it.

"At that point, after the call, Fynn went to the window and smudged the blinds at the window above the sink. I didn't know what he was doing. As he was doing it, he said, 'Someone came in through here'.

"He said [about going to the hospital to see his mother], I said 'are you f*cking crazy?'

Griffith explained that Fynn Richardson intended the pair to visit his mother in the hospital and return to find the 'break-in'.

Day 21 also saw prosecutor Steven Perian KC begin his cross-examination of Justin Griffith.

Mr Perian focused his inquisition on the lies that Griffith had told.

The court head parts of the 999 call play in which Griffith can be heard saying "Can you also please call the police because this guy might also be in the garden still," "Tell the police to come as well man... someone's moving out there," "Someone's gone through the window innit," and "Someone in the garden still."

Mr Perian quoted all of this and after each, he said to Griffith: "That's a lie."

Griffith responded to all of them with: "Yes."

Mr Perian continued: "You told the police officers 'the guy ran off into the back garden', and to DS Dewane 'he's in there and I think someone might be in the garden'," After both of which, he again said "That's a lie."

Griffith responded: "Yes."

Griffith argued that he lied in order to protect Mr Richardson.

Mr Perian said: "You're a good actor, aren't you?"

Griffith replied: "I don't know, I was putting on an act then.

"I was trying to protect him, before this, he was like family to me.

"I'd have done anything to protect him."

The trial continues.