A MAN who denies murdering his girlfriend at her Nelson flat has told a jury he grabbed hold of a scarf she was wearing and pulled it in a bid to calm her down during a row.

Carl Field demonstrated how he pulled each ends of the scarf in a quick motion, holding it like that for a matter of seconds.

Giving his evidence at Preston Crown Court, he said: "I didn't think I'd done it really, really hard. I just thought I'd use enough force to stop her from hitting me and calm her down."

After that he saw blood coming from her mouth. She got up and collapsed, banging her head very hard on the toilet. He tried to pick her up and she fell again.

The defendant said he went on to think she was dead.

He said: "I just couldn't believe what had happened. I was really scared and shaking. I was in shock and hysterical. It just seemed surreal."

The 34-year-old, of St Phillips Street, Nelson, denies murdering Debra, 34, between February 21 and March 22 this year.

The prosecution allege that Field murdered her through a violent and sustained attack.

Debra's body was found at her flat in Norfolk Street on March 21. He was also arrested there.

She had bruising to the head and a fractured thyroid cartlidge.

The defendant said that he and Debra had had arguments in the past, but they were not violent or aggressive.

His counsel, Mr Anthony Cross QC asked him why he had not gone to the police.

Field replied: "I was very scared and upset, it just didn't seem real."

He recalled having rung his mum, saying that he had killed Debra by accident.

"I'm a placid person. I'm not someone who gets really annoyed," he said.

He said he had not intended to kill Debra.

The trial continues.

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