Kenneth Burgess yesterday denied beating up fellow Cooper twins murder convict Dennis Robinson in prison, telling a jury: "Other than my conviction, I've no record of being aggressive or violent. To say that I'm aggressive and violent is untrue."

Robinson, 38, alleges that Burgess, together with Kamel Trott, 32, set upon him in his cell and took it in turns to punch him for an hour while Trott was armed with a knife. He suffered multiple fractures to his face.

He further claims that Burgess, 36, blamed him for his incarceration over the Cooper case during the beating, and instructed him to write an affidavit clearing him of blame.

Giving evidence yesterday as the first witness for the defence, Burgess told his lawyer Elizabeth Christopher that although he and Robinson argued in the 18 years they had known each other, they had never had a physical fight.

He denied blaming Robinson for his incarceration, saying that Robinson gave evidence earlier in the current case that it was he who blamed Burgess.

Burgess went on to tell the court that six days after the alleged assault, he underwent a medical examination in connection with the ongoing Police investigation.

"There were no scratches, bruises, bumps. Nothing on my person that would suggest I was in an assault whatsoever," he insisted.

Quizzed further by Director of Public Prosecutions Rory Field about his relationship with Robinson, he said: "I considered Dennis my friend up until June 6 or 7 when he made these allegations."

He went on to tell Mr. Field that since they'd been convicted of the Cooper murder, he'd seen Robinson almost every day, that he used to cut Robinson's hair and they would play chess together.

"So you're saying that a man who's been your friend for 18 years is accusing you of something you didn't do?" inquired Mr. Field.

Burgess replied: "It now makes sense. He believes it was me who implicated him. Instead of me being the one stewing, he's the one stewing."

He rejected Mr. Field's suggestion: "You wanted him to give evidence of a type that allowed you to get off the hook and you're a very aggressive man. You're a violent man."

And when the prosecutor put it to him: "Your intention wasn't to bash him up a bit. It was to beat him into a bloody pulp," Burgess replied: "That's not true. I never attacked Mr. Robinson. I never had any altercation with Mr. Robinson whatsoever."

Both he and Trott deny assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and the case continues.