A NORTH Belfast man accused of murdering his friend told police that the last time he saw the victim he was "sleeping, alive and breathing" on his sofa, a court has heard.
Louis Maguire (28) is one of two men accused of murdering 35-year old Ardoyne man Eamonn Ferguson, who died of head wounds after he was bludgeoned with a claw hammer in March 2014.
Mr Ferguson was found dead in the living room of Maguire's Ardoyne Place home in the early hours of Saturday, March 15. Maguire - who raised the alarm and called the emergency services - said that prior to the discovery, he had left his friend sleeping on his sofa.
Maguire said that when he and co-accused Christopher Power (33) returned back to the house following an unsuccessful trip to try and buy cigarettes, he discovered Mr Ferguson lying in a pool of blood.
The accused said the scene was like something from the horror movie Scream, there was "blood everywhere" and the room looked like "somebody walked in and threw a bucket of red paint."
Both Maguire, whose address was given as HMP Maghaberry, and Christopher Power, a member of the Travelling community of no fixed abode who is originally from Co Offlay, have denied involvement in the murder of Mr Ferguson.
All three men had been drinking in the centre of Belfast together on Friday, March 14 before getting a taxi back to Maguire's Ardoyne Place home.
As the trial entered its third week, the jury heard on Tuesday transcripts of police interviews conducted with Maguire in the hours after the murder.
The accused - who described himself to police as a chronic alcoholic - told police that he, Power and Mr Ferguson had a singsong and listened to music in his house, and that some time in the early hours of the following morning, Mr Ferguson fell asleep on his sofa.
Maguire told police that at this point, he put two cushions under his friend's head, covered him with a blanket and tucked him in "like a mummy."
He said that he and Power then left the house in a bid to try and buy cigarettes from a local bar. This mission was not a success, with Maguire saying that he and Power were drinking vodka in the street, having the craic and "talking crap to each other."
The Belfast man said that when he and Power arrived back at Ardoyne Place, he tried to turn his key in the front door, but found it was barracaded. He said he knocked at the front of his property before going round the back and gaining entry - and at this point he found his friend lying in a pool of his own blood in the living room.
Throughout several police interview, Maguire's version of what happened remained the same. Over two years later, both he and Power have maintained they were not involved in the murder.
However, it's the Crown's case that forensic evidence, including blood spatters on their clothing, indicated they were present when Mr Ferguson was repeatedly struck on the head with a claw hammer.
