THE stabbing of Aaron Pill was not intended and only happened because the victim unexpectedly fought back, Truro Crown Court has been told.

Summing up to the jury, Kane Coggin's barrister Richard Lloyd Smith QC told them that the death of Mr Pill had come about because of a robbery gone wrong. He said that there was never any plan to kill him just scare him and rob him.

Coggin is jointly charged with Liam Bastow with murdering Mr Pill at his home in Tresawle Road, Falmouth on May 4 this year.

Coggin, 27, of Meadowbank, Mylor Bridge and Liam Bastow, 24, of Avalon Close, Mylor Bridge have admitted manslaughter but deny murder.

The pair went round to Mr Pill’s house on the evening of his death, they say to scare and rob him, but ended up stabbing and killing him.

Mr Lloyd Smith told the jury that when Mr Pill opened the door to Coggin he immediately and unexpectedly grabbed him, and a struggle ensued.

“Aaron Pill was grabbing Kane Coggin as soon as he opened the door because he knew what was coming,” said Mr Lloyd Smith “Kane Coggin grabbed him back because he was not in control any more as Aaron Pill is grabbing him. In that split second he’s no longer in control he’s got a man grabbing him.”

Mr Lloyd Smith said the pair had not anticipated that Aaron Pill would fight back.

“As they grabbed each other Kane Coggin has got the scariest knife on the mantlepiece in his right hand and it wraps around the back in a bear hug,” he said.

“You saw it in the slow motion [on CCTV footage] and you see it in the stills. If the plan were that the knife was going in that lad come what may, it would have done there and then. It didn’t.

He said nowhere on the CCTV do you see a movement of Kane Coggin’s arm or anything that was consistent with a deliberately inflicted blow.

Coggin did not realise that he had stabbed Mr Pill and the knife had gone into Mr Pill’s stomach accidentally during the struggle.

He said Coggin’s reaction to the stabbing was pure panic because the plan to scare had gone horrendously wrong and he had made a string of stupid decisions.

“It was deplorable Coggin didn’t get help,” he said “but we’d all like to think we’d do the right thing, but it doesn’t mean that’s what was intended. Just because they didn’t report it doesn’t mean that’s’ what they intended.

The trial continues