AN ALCOHOLIC who claimed he stabbed a man to death in self-defence was not aware he had killed anyone until the day after the alleged attack, a court heard.

David Kilcullen, aged 46, of The Avenue, Bickley, denies murdering Gerry Edwards, 59, and attempting to murder 57-year-old Chris Bevan.

Prosecutors at the Old Bailey say Kilcullen visited the couple’s home in Page Heath Villas, Bickley, intending to rob the frail Mr Edwards but was surprised by Mr Bevan, who rushed to his partner’s aid after hearing him scream from the kitchen.

Last week Mr Bevan said Kilcullen made the two older men lie on the floor of the kitchen before stabbing them.

Kilcullen told the jury he was acting in self-defence and killed Mr Edwards and badly injured Mr Bevan by accident as he “pushed them away”.

Today Paul Purnell, defending, asked Kilcullen if he knew how badly injured Mr Bevan was.

Kilcullen replied: “I wasn’t fully aware of the injuries he had.

“I just left the premises. I didn’t wait around to see what injuries he had.”

Unemployed Kilcullen says he only found out someone had died at his hands the following day when staff at his local off-licence told him.

The court heard that on March 4, the day after the alleged attack, Kilcullen had tried to visit another off-licence but his path was blocked by police tape around the crime scene.

Kilcullen told the court today that once he found out he had killed someone he drank heavily for the rest of the afternoon.

He said: “I was in a bad way then. I was indoors drinking more and more.

“I felt terrible that I might have killed someone.”

Yesterday, the defendant claimed the only reason he was in the flat was to blackmail the couple about an alleged sexual assault on him by the pair earlier in the evening.

He said he took the knife to “provoke” them into handing over cash and to “scare them”.

The trial continues.