A MAN facing an attempted murder charge has admitted he repeatedly struck a grounded male repeatedly with a metal bar, but has told a jury: “I did not want to kill him.”
Luke Peter Canning, aged 22, of Bridge Street, Burneside, and 26-year-old Jordan Lee Jenkinson, of Lound Road in Kendal, are on trial at Carlisle Crown Court. Both deny a charge alleging they attempted to murder Richard Wilkinson, who was hit more than 30 times to his head and body during an attack at Waterside, Kendal, in the early hours of March 30 which one eyewitness described as “vicious”.
The court has heard Mr Wilkinson underwent surgery in hospital and made a good recovery.
Giving evidence today (MON), Canning spoke of being out in the town earlier that night with his friend Jenkinson, drinking pints and a “few Jäger bombs”. Canning said a dispute led to Mr Wilkinson – whom he didn’t know – leaving a pub before returning with a metal weapon. “He head-butted me and I am pretty sure he hit me with the bar,” Canning told jurors.
Canning then went to Waterside where he saw Jenkinson unconscious and, he said, Mr Wilkinson “stood over Jordan with the metal bar raised in his hand”. Canning said he wanted “to get him away from my friend”. As Mr Wilkinson approached “aggressively” still holding the bar, Canning said he punched him to the ground, causing the metal bar to roll away.
He admitted kicking Mr Wilkinson in the face to keep him away from the bar, accepted striking him repeatedly with the weapon and conceded: “I wasn’t thinking straight.”
“I was angry. I probably did want to hurt him at the time,” said Canning, who described feeling “devastated”, on reflection, by his violence. But he insisted: “I didn’t intend on killing him. I did not want to kill him.”
He didn’t see any blows struck by Jenkinson, who “was gone” when he looked around. The jury has heard Canning admits causing Mr Wilkinson grievous bodily harm with intent – a charge which Jenkinson denies.
The trial continues.
