A man accused of the murder of a 39-year-old in a Norwich flat told officers he 'wanted him dead' in interview, a court was told.
James Greene, 39, died at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital on Thursday, June 6, following an attack at Dolphin Grove, in Norwich, where he lived, on June 4.
Peter Bruton, 27, who had been a lodger at the flat, is on trial accused of the murder of Mr Greene, which he denies.
On Monday afternoon (November 18) a jury at Norwich Crown Court were read copies of Bruton's four police interviews.
During the first interview, held on June 5, Bruton, who declined a solicitor at that point, said he had been woken up before Mr Greene demanded money from him.
He (Mr Greene) said Bruton was going to be bottled if he did not give him it.
Bruton said he took his stuff and tried to walk out of the door but was "confronted".
Bruton told officers: "He wanted money, I was fighting to get out of the door."
But Bruton said he just "held him down and strangled him".
He added: "I wanted him dead. I was just about to start hacking him up and ******* hang him.
"There's no way he should live he's sick."
In two further police interviews on June 5, Bruton was accompanied by a solicitor and appropriate adult to help him with the interview process.
In his second interview he answered largely "no comment" but stated he "didn't want people to get off with this sort of thing".
He said he did not want him to do this "to someone else".
He said: "He tried to keep me a prisoner. He tried keeping me a prisoner."
Bruton said he had become "hostile and aggressive" and he wanted to take his chance to go.
In a third interview on the same date Bruton says he was detained and threatened with a bottle.
He said Mr Greene had demanded money from him with "menaces".
He said he was having a fight with him to stop him and was "defending myself".
He said to officers "I held him down".
In the three interviews on June 5 Mr Greene was still alive and Bruton was questioned in relation to an offence of GBH with intent.
But by the fourth interview, on June 7, Mr Greene had died and Bruton was interviewed in relation to murder.
The trial continues.
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