A MURDER suspect claims the victim was alive and well when he last saw him.

Ian Slater described the death of Courtney Valentine-Brown was “an eviction gone very wrong”.

The 36-year-old victim was stabbed in the femoral artery on February 21 last year and later died.

Slater and three others deny his murder.

The 50-year-old was cross examined by Riel Karmy-Jones, representing Kelly King, Slater’s co-defendant at Basildon Crown Court yesterday.

Slater, who was in a relationship with King at the time, told the jury that King had been frightened of Mr Valentine-Brown and Solmaz Sevket, who were both living in the flat in Roots Hall Drive which belonged to King.

Ms Karmy-Jones said to Slater: “Kelly King was finding her home barely her own anymore.

“Kelly was frightened of Courtney and Solmaz, wasn’t she? You wanted to help her, didn’t you?”

Slater responded: “When it got to the point where they were screaming abusive messages on her phone and WhatsApp saying ‘do not come back or else’ I realised she was being chased out of her own house.”

On the night of February 21, Slater stated he went to the flat with King and two others to make sure they left the flat.

He described how, armed with a stick, he went into the bedroom where Ms Sevket was lying and hit her once, saying she had to get out.

When asked what happened next, he said: “All I remember is senses going all over the place. There was [sic] noises, Solmaz banging the front door and on instinct I thought I had to get out.

“It was a fight or flight response at that point.”

Slater stated he recalled Mr Valentine-Brown standing holding a chair but did not see him get stabbed.

Ms Karmy-Jones added: “She never asked you to kill anyone did she? There was no intention for you to assault anyone that evening. It was an eviction that went terribly wrong?”

Slater agreed with all of the statements. Slater, of Wayletts, Leigh, King, 30, of Howards Close, Westcliff, Stuart Pearson, 43, of Satanita Road, Westcliff and Alex Stephens, 36, of Hamlet Court Road in Westcliff, all deny the murder of Mr Valentine-Brown. The trial continues.