The man, whose DNA was found on the knife which killed a father-of-three, dismissed as "ridiculous" a claim he had carried out the stabbing.

Jamie Simmons, 29, was killed following an "altercation" in Cambridge Crescent in Shepway, Maidstone.

He had recently become a father for the third time when his fiancée Charlotte Muddiman gave birth to daughter Dolcie 15 weeks previously.

Prosecutor Ahmed Hossain QC said to his friend Jack McCann: "What is being suggested to you is that you stabbed Jamie Simmons."

Mr McCann retorted: "That's ridiculous. People have told me I wasn't even there in the stabbing."

After he had been arrested initially, Mr McCann told a police officer: "Murder? All I know is that I was beaten up. I'm the victim, a man has died and I can't bring him back.

"Whoever stabbed him - I was there and that makes me part of the scene, but I am not a lawyer."

He told a murder jury at Maidstone Crown Court that his DNA must have got there when he picked it from the floor.

His blood was also discovered in a knife drawer in the kitchen near where the victim was allegedly stabbed to death on Monday, May 4.

But the 29 year old roofer - who had been headbutted and punched during the fracas with Mr Simmons - told the jury he didn't know about the death of his friend until later that night.

On trial is Kieron Nicholson, from Vicarage Lane, East Farleigh who is accused of murdering Mr Simmons during the row in Shepway. He denies murder.

Mr McCann, who gave his evidence from behind screens, was asked by defence barrister Cairns Nelson QC if he could explain the DNA findings by forensic experts.

He had told police how he had picked the knife off the floor and put it in the sink adding: "It was a bent knife. It had a black handle with little teeth on it."

Mr Nelson: "How do you remember it was a black handled knife?"

Mr McCann: "Some things stick in your mind."

Mr Nelson: "Why was your DNA found on the knife?"

Mr McCann: "I told you, it was on the floor and I put it into the sink. My blood was everywhere."

He was also shown photographs of cuts on his right hand and asked how they had occurred.

Mr McCann retorted: "Why are you trying to pin stuff on me? Where are you going with this? I know you have got to stick up for people and that, because that's your job."

He admitted climbing out of the flat window during the incident but denied using the knife.

Mr McCann added: "I don't lie!"

Earlier the court was told it was Mr McCann's insult which triggered a row which eventually ended with Mr Simmons, a dad-of-three being stabbed to death.

He said it was just a joke.

Mr McCann had offered to “take care” of victim Jamie Simmons’ partner, Charlotte Muddiman, after they met up one evening.

The quip led to an argument, but Mr McCann said he was then attacked by Mr Simmons and his partner.

He claimed Mr Simmons headbutted him and while he was trying to clean himself up said he heard a commotion in the flat.

He said: “All I could hear was the door banging and people saying 'Go away, go away, get out of the flat'. There was shouting. I felt dazed.

“I thought it was over and done with. I could feel a group of people coming in and the next thing I knew was I was getting hit. I was getting jabs, jabs, jabs to the back of my head. I just covered myself up. I thought I was going down. My back was hurting."

He claimed a neighbour told him someone had been stabbed and asked if he had been stabbed.

He said he then went to the home of his mother and only found out for certain Mr Simmons had been stabbed when he started getting messages on his phone.

He told the jury: “When I saw Jamie I didn’t see no injuries.”

The trial continues.

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