A MAN accused of murdering a drug user had trained as a competitive fighter, a court heard.

Lloyd Deacon had taken part in amateur Muay Thai and boxing matches and had been trained by professional coaches.

Robin Griffiths, prosecuting, cross-examined Deacon at Chelmsford Crown Court asking him: “Didn’t that coaching include strong warnings about the risks involved with the use of fists and feet?”

Deacon responded: “No-one says anything about that when you fight. You just go and do it."

Mr Griffiths continued: “Had you not been made aware that the use of your feet upon another person’s head carried with it a real danger of causing serious injury?"

Deacon responded: "I wasn’t aiming at his head."

Deacon denies murdering Gary Bassett in a row over drugs.

He is accused of delivering a fatal blow to a drug user’s head in an alleyway behind Debenhams in Basildon.

Deacon, of Parson's Field, Dedham, said he asked known drug user Bassett to “score” some drugs for him for £20.

The court heard he had known Mr Bassett, 51, ten years earlier.

Deacon had seen Mr Bassett with his uncle John Haycock.

The court heard Mr Haycock and Deacon, 27, drove to the alleyway on the day of the incident to find someone from whom to buy drugs.

Mr Griffiths said: “What you’re telling the court is as you approached and found the other couple, Mr Bassett and Melanie Williams were using drugs, but those drugs must have been those that you paid for. You assumed that.”

Deacon replied: “I did yeah. I gave them money, they came back and were smoking.”

CCTV images showed Deacon leaving the passenger’s seat of Mr Haylock's car and showed how he “headed purposefully” towards the alleyway before returning almost two minutes later.

Miss Williams had previously told the court she struck out at Deacon’s neck to protect herself after he kicked Mr Bassett to the side of the head inside the alley, allegedly because the couple refused to share their drugs.

The trial continues.