Leeds pub car park murder accused denies intending to cause his friend serious injury

Aaron Bellas told Leeds Crown Court Andrew Hullah may have suffered his fatal injuries after falling and hitting his head on a gatepost.

Jurors have heard how Mr Hullah, 49, died after suffering a head injury during the incident outside the Shoulder of Mutton pub, in Morley, in the early hours of October 28 last year.

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The prosecution claims Bellas struck Mr Hullah repeatedly before leaving him “senseless” on the ground.

Bellas, 26, gave evidence at his trial today.

He admitted that he had punched Mr Hullah with “force”.

Bellas’s barrister, Andrew Hall, QC, asked: “When you punched him with force, were you intending to kill him with your bare fists?”

Bellas replied: “No”.

Mr Hall asked: “Were you intending to cause him some really serious injury by punching him?”

The defendant replied: “No”.

The barrister then asked Bellas: “Did he at any point appear to lose consciousness or cry out in pain, or hold his head in pain?”

Bellas replied: “No.”

Bellas denied kicking or stamping on Mr Hullah.

He told the jury Mr Hullah stumbled during the incident and may have struck his head on a gatepost.

Mr Hall then asked Bellas: “If you had known that that man had a fractured skull when you saw him on the floor of the car park, what would you have done?”

Bellas said: “I would have helped him.”

The jury has heard the men were friends and both lived at accommodation attached to the pub.

The incident happened after the two men had argued while they were out together the previous evening.

It was not immediately obvious that Mr Hullah had suffered a serious head injury.

He had suffered a fractured skull and bleeding to his brain.

Mr Hullah’s condition worsened and he died six days later, on November 3.

Bellas pleads not guilty to murder and not guilty to an alternative charge of manslaughter.

The trial continues.