Daniel Ambler murder trial: Defendant admits hitting victim with hammer but claims self-defence
“I was scared he could do me harm and if I hadn’t of taken the hammer off him he could have also used it on my dad or Ashton”
Barry Logan Anderson, one of the defendants charged with the murder of Daniel Ambler, has told the court he did hit Daniel with a hammer, but it was in self-defence.
He claimed the weapon was first pulled him by Daniel and he was “scared” he was going to be hurt.
Daniel, who was 23, suffered serious injuries at the Esso Asda Express service station, in Stockton Road, Seaham, at around 4.50pm on January 15 and died at the scene.
Daniel died after being hit by a Nissan car, which prosecuting barrister Mr Donkin claimed was being driven by Barry Logan Anderson’s brother, Ashton Anderson.
Speaking in court last week, pathologist Dr Louise Mulcahy confirmed Daniel had suffered injuries to his head, some of which may have come from an earlier altercation involving a weapon, with a hammer later found in the car of Barry Anderson snr - Barry Logan Anderson’s dad.
After an initial altercation at a bus stop, Barry Logan Anderson, of Nursery View, Shotton Bank, became embroiled in a fight with Daniel.
When questioned by barrister Mr Myers as to whether he’d been carrying a crowbar or hammer, he said: “Definitely not - I didn’t have a weapon. Daniel stopped and he wanted to fight. It was then that he went into his waste band and pulled out a hammer.
“It was as he raised his arm that I punched him. I punched him a few times and when he stumbled, I took the chance to grab his right arm and ripped the hammer out of his hand.”
At this point, Barry Logan Anderson said he had the hammer in his hand and that he did hit him “three or four times”.
He added: “I was mainly aiming at the bottom half, although it was possible he was hit on the head.”
When questioned by Mr Myers about why he’d hit Daniel with the hammer, he said: “If Daniel was going to use the hammer on me, then I thought I can use it on him. I was scared he could do me harm. If I hadn’t taken the hammer off him he could have also used it on my dad or Ashton.”
When questioned as to why he stopped, he said: “I stopped as I didn’t want to cause him serious harm. I’m not like that. It was over and he was no longer a threat.”
He added at that point, Daniel got up and walked up to lean on a wall next to the Esso garage.
Barry Logan Anderson jnr claimed the initial altercation with Daniel and two associates was over what he said was a bag of car keys which he alleged been stolen from from his dad’s car.
He said he initially went to support his dad who was going to confront Daniel and his associates about the alleged stolen keys.
Barry Logan Anderson added: “There was no plan to attack Daniel or to do him serious harm. I believed my dad was going to confront them to get his keys back. Daniel then threw a punch at my dad and then everyone scattered.”
Barry Anderson Snr, 52, of Canon Cockin Street, Hendon, Barry Logan Anderson, 19, of Nursery View, Shotton Bank, Tyler Leadbetter, 18, of Elgin Avenue, Seaham, and Ajay Henry, 18, of Melrose Crescent, Seaham, all deny charges of murder and violent disorder.
Ashton Anderson, 20, of Ryton Street, Seaham, denies murder but has pleaded guilty to violent disorder.
The trial continues on Thursday.