A Manchester man told an Old Bailey jury today (tu

A Manchester man told an Old Bailey jury today (tue) how he went on the run after a murder because he feared reprisals from the victim’s family.

Terence ‘Tiggy’ Towey, 26, denied he was even in the same pub as Ged Hyland when he was killed.

But giving evidence today (tue) Towey told the court how he went to ground because he found out the Hyland family were blaming him for Ged’s murder.

And Towey said he did not turn himself into police because he felt he had dug himself ‘into a hole.

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The court has heard how Mr Hyland, 24, was savagely stabbed to death by three men in front of his family at the Shamrock pub in Ancoats, Manchester.

Mr Hyland died four days later from his injuries on March 19, 1998.

The prosecution say Towey arranged and took part in the attack because of a petty grudge.

Prosecutor Clement Goldstone, QC, said the pair had argued together in the nearby Cheshire Cheese pub only moments before the stabbing.

Giving evidence Towey told the jury how during the night of March 15, 1998 Mr Hyland had approached him while he was waiting to be served at the bar in the Cheshire Cheese.

‘He seemed to be drunk.

He came up from behind me and stood in front of me facing me.

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He said Mr Hyland made a derogatory remark about one of his (Towey’s) friends.

‘He said to me: ‘What are you doing with that little prick.

”

Towey said Mr Hyland was making the remark about a friend called Ryan Critchley:

‘I just asked why he was calling him a prick.

He said he didn’t like him.

I tried to reason with Ged.

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Later at the bar Towey said Mr Hyland ‘glared’ at him:

‘I tried to shake his hands – he just pushed my hand out of the way.

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Another incident followed moments later, Towey claimed, when Mr Hyland sat at his table and just stared at them:

‘He just had his elbow on his knee.

He was just looking through us staring.

He was very drunk.

He was saying something I couldn’t understand.

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But Towey told the court how later Mr Hyland put his hand out towards him and said:

‘Forget about it.

No hard feelings.

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Towey added: ‘I shook his hand.

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The defendant then told how he left the bar for the nearby Hat and Feathers.

He maintained he did not see Mr Hyland again that night.

Richard Ferguson, QC, for Towey, asked him: ‘It is alleged you are one of the men who attacked and stabbed Ged Hyland at the Shamrock.

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Towey replied: ‘No I did not stab Ged Hyland.

I wasn’t at the Shamrock when Ged was attacked.

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He said he did not learn about the attack until the next morning.

Towey, who was staying at a flat in Blackley, learnt that police had visited his home ‘over a wounding.

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But he said: ‘I knew it had nothing to do with me.

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Later in the week Towey said he heard that Mr Hyland had died and he added: ‘I knew the Hylands were blaming me.

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Towey then explained why he did not have any contact with the police between the date of the attack and the day of his arrest in Burnley on May 31, 1998.

‘My main concern was reprisals at the time.

I didn’t help myself with regards to the police because I didn’t go to see them and I had dug myself into a hole so I stayed away.

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Towey, of Horne Drive, Ancoats, Manchester, denies murdering Ged Hyland on March 15, 1998.

The trial continues.

ends