The man accused of murdering his landlord and friend Michael Ryan told the Old Bailey, "I've never hurt anyone in my life".

Stuart Crawford, 45, told jurors how he and his landlord had "grappled like wrestlers" before he struck Mr Ryan "two or three times" as he feared for his life.

Mr Crawford claimed he had been confronted by Mr Ryan in his room when he was dressed only in boxer shorts and socks.

He told the Old Bailey how Mr Ryan had said: "That's it Stuart, I've had enough of you, I want you out of my flat this minute."

During the ensuing fight, Mr Crawford told the jury how Mr Ryan had banged his head on something as the pair fell to the floor. Mr Crawford told the court: "Mike noticed a lot of blood coming from his head, and it had made him more angry. The fight intensified."

Mr Crawford claimed he "luckily" found an object on a table in Michael Ryan's flat as the pair fought in the front room of 33 Laurel Manor, Sutton.

The defendant, who denies murder, told the jury: "I was fearing for my life, it was automatic what I did."

He claimed he had hit out at Mr Ryan in a "self-preservation kind of way", adding "I'm not a killer, I don't go around killing."

Mr Crawford admitted acting "callously" when he didn't ring an ambulance, and instead went to Sutton Library to transfer £6,500 into his account from Mr Ryan's.

Mr Crawford told the court the transfer of showed "just how stupid I am. It doesn't show the work of a calculating person."

Mr Crawford claimed he was "on a different planet" at the time and admit what he had done was "callous and despicable."

The jury heard Mr Crawford claim his landlord had a lock on his door as "he didn't know me from Adam".

Stuart Crawford denies murder.