A man accused of murder admitted “tussling” with an unknown man moments before shots rang out, but denied being knowingly involved in any shooting.

Prosecutors have alleged that Patrick Stamp played a vital role in the fatal shooting of Malcolm Augustus, who was killed in St George’s at about midnight on December 24, 2012.

Taking the stand in his own defence yesterday, Mr Stamp, 30, said that on the evening of the shooting he walked to a friend’s house in St George’s.

About half an hour later a man — a witness who previously testified in the trial — arrived at the home. Mr Stamp said the witness had been drinking and got into a fight with another man, causing the homeowner to order both men off the property.

Mr Stamp said he left a short while later, walking towards the house of his daughter’s mother, where he intended to stay overnight.

While walking along Wellington Back Road, Mr Stamp said that he saw two men on a motorcycle ride up to him. As they pulled up, he said one of the men gripped the necklace around his neck and attempted to rip it off.

He said he pulled the chains back and ran, jumping into someone’s yard. He hid there until the men rode past, then ran home. He stayed there for a few minutes, catching his breath, and then continued to his daughter’s home.

When he got there, he said his daughter was already asleep. The mother went to bed shortly after, leaving Mr Stamp watching television. He then realised that some cannabis that had been in his pocket had fallen out.

“I started thinking about my weed, thinking it was probably still out there in the street,” he said. “The guys were probably gone by now, so I started to walk up the street to find it.”

Walking back along Wellington Back Road, he saw a damaged bike, along with sticks, broken glass and a piece of power line laying in the road. He then said he saw the witness riding through the area on a motorcycle with his lights off.

Mr Stamp said he spoke to the witness and tried to explain how two men had attempted to rob him and that he had lost the cannabis. He said the witness became angry and told him to stay where he was. He returned minutes later with a cricket bat, telling Mr Stamp they should go and find the would-be robbers.

While the defendant said he tried to explain that an hour had passed and the men were likely long gone, he did get on the back of the bike, taking the piece of power line with him.

He testified that the pair eventually rode to the St George’s Golf Course, where Mr Stamp saw three men on two motorcycles riding off the golf course, shouting loudly back and forth. He said the witness parked and went to investigate while Mr Stamp watched the bike. The witness later returned, parked the bike and began to walk back towards the bushes with Mr Stamp following.

He said a 4x4 then drove into the area, lighting up the bushes with its headlights. As it did so, he heard a “scattering action” in the bushes.

“I started to walk towards where the lights were so I could see what was going on,” he said. “As I got right close to the lights, somebody just came running out of the bushes. They grabbed me real quick and I was just trying to push them off.

“There was a tussle and we kind of stumbled towards the bushes. When we got close to the bushes, we kind of broke away from each other. I turned, trying to get away from him, then I heard a shot.

“I was basically running and ducking. I didn’t know who took the shot and I didn’t know who got shot at.”

During the struggle, Mr Stamp said he dropped both the power line and his hat.

He told the court he ran to where the bike was parked, but as he did so Wolda Gardner, whom he had not previously seen at the scene, exited the 4x4 and threw him into the vehicle. They then rode away with another man, Causwell Robinson, behind the wheel.

Mr Stamp said Mr Robinson dropped off Mr Gardner near the RAA club, while he was let out near his home. He then caught a ride to his daughter’s home, where he looked online to see if there was any news about the incident.

“I was just shocked,” he said. “I didn’t really know what happened.”

He said he left the Island for Britain on December 27 after hearing from family members that threats were being made against him, but added that he intended to return on January 11. He was arrested on arrival in London.

Under cross-examination, Mr Stamp said he initially picked up the power line to clear it from the road, but took it with him when he went with the witness for self-defence, although he said he was not afraid and he did not see either of the robbers with weapons. Asked why he went with the witness at all, he said he wanted to find out what was going on and possibly to find his cannabis.

He was also questioned by Cindy Clarke, the Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, about electronic messages sent in the days after the shooting, in which he told his mother and sister to delete Facebook and BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) posts.

Mr Stamp also admitted sending a BBM message that told someone to remove the damaged bike he found in the road and “throw it in the bushes”, despite telling the court that he did not know if it was involved in any of the incidents that night.

“I didn’t know what was going on,” he said.

Ms Clarke said that Mr Stamp had set out to kill Mr Augustus after he and another man stole his cannabis, that he directed the witness to the scene of the crime and tried to flush the victim from the bushes.

“You’re the reason Mr Gardner was able to shoot Mr Augustus,” Ms Clarke said. “You are the one who found him, you are the one who said where he is.

“He shot him up close. There is no way you could not have seen Mr Gardner shoot Mr Augustus. Without your help, Mr Augustus may not be dead.” Mr Stamp responded: “That’s not true.”

The trial continues.