A MAN accused of murder has said his day went from “normal to disaster” after he stabbed a friend of a friend in self defence.

Tajwar Alam has admitted inflicting the stab wounds that killed Hassan Mohammed Ibrahim in York Road, Southend, last year.

But at ChelmsfordCrown Court yesterday, the 19-year-old claimed he acted in self-defence after Mr Ibrahim, 26, from Peckham, pulled a knife on his friend and attacked him.

Alam, of Sleaford Road, London, said: “It went from a normal day to disaster.

“None of this was meant to happen.”

The prosecution claims Alam pulled a knife from his waistband and stabbed Mr Ibrahim in a pre-planned attack as he spoke to a mutual acquaintance, Simbarashe Zemura.

Alam claimed it was Mr Ibrahim who produced the knife.

He said he kicked the knife out of Mr Ibrahim’s hand and picked it up, but Mr Ibrahim rugby tackled him.

Alam claimed he punched Mr Ibrahim as hard as he could in the neck in a bid to get him off. When that failed, he stabbed him twice in the back.

He said: “I didn’t want to stab him, but it ended up like that.

“It happened so fast, I didn’t look at the knife.

“I picked up the knife, he grabbed me and I panicked.”

The court has heard Alam, who suffered no injuries from the rugby tackle, or from punching Mr Ibrahim, stabbed the victim so hard, the knife went through bone.

The prosecution claims Alam, who refused to comment during his police interview, invented the rugby tackle to explain why he stabbed Mr Ibrahim in the back.

Jeremy Benson QC, prosecuting, said: “The truth is, you didn’t stab Hassan in self-defence, you waited until his back was turned, you took out a knife and stabbed him.

“When you did that, your intention was to cause him at least very serious harm.”

Alam denies charges of murder and conspiracy inflict grievous bodily harm with intent.

The trial continues.