A man accused of knocking a former Dundee FC footballer unconscious with one punch and ending his career has denied he tried to get his friend to lie to the police.
At Dundee Sheriff Court, Robert Chambers, 24, also denied a suggestion from fiscal depute Eilidh Robertson that he had “fled the scene” after what was “an unprovoked attack” on John Black.
Mr Black spent 10 days in an induced coma and had to have part of his skull removed following the incident.
Chambers, of Craigmount Road, denies assaulting Mr Black on October 8 last year at Old Hawkhill.
He told the court he was trying to protect his friend Jack Roger by telling him in text messages to say to police the incident was “all a blur”.
Chambers said he had reacted after Mr Black pushed him first. He said Mr Black then took a step towards him and was being held back by someone but said he felt “under threat” and said he punched Mr Black as a “sort of self defence”.
He denied a suggestion from Ms Robertson that he was the one being held back by others and that it was an unprovoked attack.
The court had earlier heard a police interview with Chambers where he said after the punch he had panicked and walked towards Perth Road and went down Roseangle before returning to Perth Road, where he met Mr Roger and after hearing Mr Black had been taken away by ambulance, said he was going to the police.
He said Mr Roger told him to go home and they could deal with it in the morning.
He said he then walked up to Clark’s Bakery for some food but it was too busy and he went back to his friend’s house on Blackness Avenue.
Ms Robertson asked him: “Mr Black is on the ground unconscious and suffering from a life-threatening injury and you went to get a roll and sausage?”
During the interview he admitted he carried out the assault but said he felt Mr Black was “coming for him”.
The trial continues.
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