A MAN accused of murdering his friend in a stabbing in a Rochford flat told police the incident was inevitable due to his mental health problems, a court has heard.

The trial into the death of Dominic Clark-Ellingford continued yesterday in Basildon Crown Court after defendant Perry Coulson denied murder and manslaughter charges.

Coulson, 39, of Lesney Gardens, Rochford, is accused of killing Mr Clark-Ellingford with a single stab wound through the heart in a flat in Lesney Gardens.

Police witnesses statements were provided to the court, including a statement from PC Jazmine Akbhar.

PC Akhbar added: “Mr Coulson said he had mental health problems and said he needed to be sectioned.

“He added that he tried to seek help multiple times and this [incident] was inevitably going to happen.”

On November 25, the victim suffered a single stab wound at an address in Lesney Gardens, Rochford and died at the scene.

Coulson was shirtless when PC Akbhar handcuffed him and she noticed a grey shirt under his foot, he confirmed this was the shirt he was wearing.

The shirt was covered in blood and Coulson repeatedly apologised for the incident saying how “bad” and how much of a “mistake” it was.

PC Akbhar added: “On Friday November 25, 2022, I attended an incident in Lesney Gardens, Rochford.

“We had been informed the suspect Perry Coulson was in the company of his mother in her vehicle until police arrived.

“It was red Renault Capture at the front of the building and I immediately handcuffed Mr Coulson in a front stack position to prevent harm to himself or others.”

After the murder, the defendant went to his neighbour Lorna Hall’s flat shortly after 8am. Ms Hall conducted a video interview in Rayleigh Police Station which was played to the court.

She said: “Perry was standing there and I was quite shocked to see him because he never knocked that early.

“He was covered in blood, there was blood on his forehead, his shirt and jogging bottoms too, it looked like dried blood.

“Perry looked very agitated and pale in the face, I asked him what had happened and he said ‘I killed him, a body is in there go and have a look’.”

The trial continues.