A MAN accused of killing his mother’s partner has told a court he “worshipped the ground he walked on”.

Jamie Mitchell, 35, of Apple Close in Poole, told jurors at Winchester Crown Court that he and Kenneth Dickie, 64, had a good relationship and that Mr Dickie’s death was just “a tragic accident”.

Mr Dickie died a week after he was pushed to the floor by Jamie Mitchell on May 7 last year, at Rockley Park in Poole. Jamie Mitchell claimed he was trying to separate Mr Dickie from his mum, Samantha Mitchell, 58, who were “scuffling”.

Jamie Mitchell denies manslaughter. At an earlier hearing he pleaded guilty to common assault - a brief fight between Mr Dickie and Jamie Mitchell on the same evening - and intent to pervert the course of justice.

“Ken had hold of my mum and she was trying to get away,” he told yesterday’s hearing. “He was gripping her. I just told him to get off and stop it.

“I put my hands up between them. I just pushed them and said ‘pack it in’,” he said, fighting back tears. “I’ve never seen anyone out cold like that. He was snoring; I thought it was a bit of drink, I just thought it was a prang on the head. I honestly thought he was going to stand up.”

Defending was Edmund Gritt who asked Jamie Mitchell why he had allowed his mother to claim it was her who had knocked Mr Dickie to the floor.

“I don’t know what I was thinking at that point,” Jamie Mitchell said. “I was just panicking. I was scared that if I said anything I would get her into more trouble. It had just gone from a night out to then seeing that. I was relieved she said it wasn’t her.”

Prosecuting Charles Gabb accused Jamie Mitchell of knowing Mr Dickie was “seriously injured” referring back to one of his interviews during which he told officers of the “sickening sound” of “an almighty crack” he heard after Mr Dickie fell to the floor.

He said: “Is any of this story true? You said you saw your mum trying to pull away from Mr Dickie. You have never ever said before that your mum was acting defensively. You used so much force ‘he went flying’. You wanted to carry on the confrontation you had started minutes before.”

Jamie Mitchell responded: “I would say it was a tragic accident. I didn’t want to attack him.”

The trial continues.