Man accused of stabbing Tyson Fury's cousin to death tells trial 'I'm not a violent person'

A man accused of murdering the cousin of boxer Tyson Fury with a knife during a bar brawl in Altrincham told a jury "I’m not a violent person".

Liam O’Pray, 22, is accused of fatally stabbing Rico Burton, 31, the cousin of the world heavyweight boxing champion, Manchester Crown Court heard.

The seven-inch blade of the knife almost completely severed the major carotid artery in Mr Burton’s neck causing massive blood loss after a fight erupted between two groups of men in the early hours of 22 August 2022.

O’Pray is also accused of wounding with intent by slashing and stabbing Harvey Reilly, 18, during the same incident.

The court heard O’Pray had a previous conviction for having a knife in public in 2019, but the defendant told the jury: "I'm not a violent person."

CCTV played in court showed a fight erupt between the defendant’s friends and Mr Burton’s family and friends at Goose Green, a courtyard of bars.

O’Pray had earlier been refused entry to a bar and it is claimed told a doorman he was a professional boxer and would be back and "cause him an issue" which he denied.

Door staff and witnesses have described the defendant as a "loose cannon" and "very erratic".

At just gone 3am, a witness told the court "absolute chaos" broke out as O’Pray’s friend, Malachi Hewitt-Brown, was punched by Mr Burton’s cousin, Chasiah Burton.

Mr Burton also then aimed a punch at Mr Hewitt-Brown.

A second later, O’Pray struck the fatal blow with the knife to the left side of Rico Burton’s neck, the court heard.

Michael Brady KC, prosecuting, asked the defendant: "You got the knife out of your pocket and the blade exposed before any punch was thrown?

"Did you warn anyone? Did you say, ‘I have got a knife, get away’? Did you wave it about?”

O’Pray said: "Everyone was in my face. I didn’t say a word. I was surrounded by them. I just reacted.”

Mr Brady continued: "Or was it you were just waiting for an excuse to use your knife, the blade of which was already exposed?"

O’Pray replied: "No. I did not start anything, I was just reacting. It was all kicking off. I was scared. I was outnumbered."

Mr Brady said: "You were angry, you were not scared. And once you had stabbed Mr Burton to the neck you carried on using it aggressively, you were not bothered who you hit, you were just lashing out."

The defendant replied: "I was just trying to stop punches and kicks. I was just defending myself, I was under attack."

Mr Brady added: "This is just standard for you, going out drinking, being violent."

The prosecutor suggested O’Pray was "pretty much always carrying a knife."

But O’Pray told the jury a month or so before the fatal incident he had been left covered, "head to toe" in blood, kicked and stabbed in the hand in a fight after his £500 hat had been taken from him.

The defendant said he bought the lock-knife because he was "worried" after the July incident and to "defend myself" as being beaten up had played on his mind.

He also said he had used the knife as a tool in his job as a groundworker.

O’Pray, of Little Moss Lane, Clifton, Salford, has admitted possession of a knife in a public place and possession of cocaine.

He denies murder and attempted wounding.

The trial continues.