THE man accused of murdering gay pensioner Edward Highwood has admitted ransacking his alleged victim's house for valuables.

Homeless Polish immigrant Marcin Orlowski denies murdering 79-year-old Mr Highwood at the pensioner's home in Hollymount Close, Blackheath, on July 17 last year.

He claims he was provoked into hitting Mr Highwood with a glass vase because of the pensioner's unwanted sexual advances.

The 20-year-old spoke from the witness box for the first time today and told jurors he lit a cigarette and stole a computer monitor, a camera, a phone charger and CDs after hitting the pensioner.

Defence lawyer Nigel Lithman asked him what happened after the pair returned to the house from Deptford's 999 club.

The defendant replied: “We were sat on the sofa and watched wrestling on TV.

“He clasped my thigh. He then put his hand on my penis - on the outside of my clothes - and then he put the other hand on my cheek and then he put his tongue into my mouth.

“I pushed him away. I was trying to stand up and then he stood up and pushed me onto the sofa.

“He touched my a**e and then he touched his penis – but not naked.”

He added: “There was a fight between us. We were struggling and I remember three times hitting him with the vase. I don't remember more than that.

“I didn't want to have anything in my a**e. I like girls not boys.

“Maybe my reaction was too fast, too rapid. I don't know. It just happened. I panicked.”

Under cross-examination, prosecution lawyer Victor Temple asked Orlowski: “Do you accept you are fitter and stronger and faster on your feet than Mr Highwood?”

He replied: “Yes.”

Mr Temple continued: “Do you further accept you knew where the front door was? It was a very short journey from the sofa to the front door.”

Again, Orlowski responded by saying: “Yes.”

The prosecution followed this up by asking Orlowski if he had made the “slightest effort” to help the pensioner after hitting him, or whether he wanted to steal his property.

Orlowski confirmed he wanted to steal enough items to raise cash for a train ticket to Brighton as he heard there was a large Polish homeless community there.

He also admitted smoking two cigarettes before the fight and one afterwards.

Mr Temple later said: “You always had it in mind to steal, even before you arrived at the house.”

The defendant replied: “No, that is not true.”

In addition to claims of provocation, Orlowski says his responsibility for the killing was “substantially impaired” by his chronic alcoholism.

The trial continues.