A man accused of murder yesterday claimed swelling on his knuckles was from years of working in a fish factory and nothing to do with the alleged attack.
Tomas Gulbinavicius, 33, and Janis Karajevs, 30, both deny murdering their housemate Aleksejus Zarskus at the King Street home they shared on January 15 this year.
It is alleged they repeatedly punched and kicked Mr Zarskus, causing a blunt force trauma.
Giving evidence at the High Court in Aberdeen, Gulbinavicius claimed he found Karajevs attacking Mr Zarskus, and that he pulled Karajevs away before punching his co-accused six times.
He blamed the fact that he had the victim’s blood on his clothing on cleaning up his face with wet towels, saying that blood must have transferred on to him.
When questioned by Neil Murray, Karajevs’ lawyer, Gulbinavicius said that his fists were swollen due to work rather than attacking the victim.
Mr Murray asked: “Why were your knuckles swollen when the doctor examined you at Kittybrewster police station?”
Gulbinavicius replied: “They have always been like that. I worked for a fish factory for six years. My hands swelled up from the cold.” He denied it had anything to do with the attack that caused Mr Zarskus’ death, and Mr Murray asked: “Did you not think it important to tell the doctor about this? “ The accused said: “No.”
Gulbinavicius also told the court how he wanted to change his evidence on the morning of the first day of the trial because he was attacked in his cell by someone he claimed was friends with his co-accused.
He said: “He told me to change what I say or I will be beaten and starved every day.”
The trial continues.