A WOMAN accused of killing her on-off lover told a court that she feared for her life.
Beauty therapist Laura King, 24, admitted that she struck Alexander "Blue" Thomson three times over the head with a wine bottle during a fight in her Edinburgh flat.
But yesterday she told prosecutor Alan MacKay that she hit out only because she t
hought that Mr Thomson, 20, was getting the better of her friend Peter Tarwinski – known as PJ – in the struggle.
King and Tarwinski, 25, deny the culpable homicide of Mr Thomson at her flat in Newbattle Terrace, Morningside, on January 13 this year.
It is alleged he was attacked by both accused and collapsed and died shortly after.
King told the High Court in Glasgow that Mr Thomson had turned up at her flat and refused to leave, and at this point Tarwinski punched him.
She said: "I had no idea anyone was going to die. The only person I thought was going to be killed was PJ and then myself."
Earlier, King told her defence counsel Edgar Prais QC that Mr Thomson had abused her during their relationship and was jealous.
King denied that days before Mr Thomson died she had offered someone money to slash him. She also denied luring Mr Thomson to her flat for him to be assaulted by Tarwinski and egging on the fight.
Both accused have lodged special defences of self defence.
Mr Thomson's cause of death was given as cocaine abuse and assault.
The trial before temporary judge Mark Stewart QC continues.
The full article contains 269 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
