"I DIDN'T mean for anything like that to happen," Niron Parker-Lee told a jury as he broke down in the witness box.

The 20-year-old drug dealer, who denies murdering Mansoor Mahmood, said he was acting in self-defence when he pulled his knife out during an altercation with the 24-year-old.

Parker-Lee said he had been waiting for a taxi in Brierley Hill High Street when he was spotted by Mr Mahmood on October 15, 2016.

He said he backed into an alleyway as Mr Mahmood crossed the road towards him, telling Birmingham Crown Court: "I didn't want any trouble. He was saying 'what the f**k have I told you about being around here?' I said I was waiting for my taxi."

Parker-Lee said Mr Mahmood then threw a punch at him and he had returned some blows before running away.

"I was trying to get away," he said.

"When we were in the alleyway, I saw him trying to reach for something in his waistband. I didn't know what it was.

"When I was running away I could hear him shouting 'come on then', I looked back and he was running at me.

"That's when I produced my knife."

Parker-Lee told the court he began carrying the knife for his "own protection" after a previous run in with Mr Mahmood and two other men - who he claimed had chased him into a chip shop armed with a mallet, knife and baseball bat for dealing drugs on their turf.

"I panicked," Parker-Lee, of Blewitt Street, Pensnett, said.

"At the time, there was so much going through my mind after what had happened before.

"I didn't know what was going to happen, that's why I produced my knife. I was hoping he would back away and stop but he didn't.

"He came running at me trying to kick out at me and then he threw a punch at me. As he did that, I went forward at him and that's when I think he got stabbed.

"I only realised when he screamed out in pain. Then I could see the blood. That's when I turned around and I ran away."

A wounded Mr Mahmood, who managed to stagger into Dixi Chicken takeaway to seek help, was rushed to Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital but despite efforts to save his life he was pronounced dead at 6.53pm.

"It all happened so quickly, I wasn't aiming for him, I just wanted him to back away and leave me alone," Parker-Lee said.

"I didn't want to cause him no harm, no serious harm. I just wanted him to back away.

"I did not intend to take his life.

"I went to Brierley Hill to do a drug deal and get my hair cut. I was going about my normal day. I couldn't predict this was going to happen and I'm sorry, so sorry."

The court was told that Parker-Lee was arrested by armed police at a property in Northfield, almost 11 months later on August 31, 2017.

The father-of-one cried as he told the court: "I was laying low because I was scared about getting arrested.

"I didn't know what was going to happen and knowing that I had taken somebody's life, I couldn't believe what had happened.

"Seeing all the press made me not want to hand myself in. It seemed to me that everyone had decided that I was guilty without actually hearing what had happened that day."

Christopher Millington, prosecuting, has alleged that Parker-Lee had gone out "ready to confront" Mr Mahmood that day as he wanted to continue to deal drugs in Brierley Hill.

The trial continues.