Norwich Rose Lane murder trial: Accused 'went to police'
A man accused of a murder in a Norwich car park has told a jury he witnessed the attack and went to police.
Anton St Paul, 22, said he saw Spencer Yiadom, who has admitted murder, hit a man and then do a "stamping" motion in Rose Lane car park in February 2011.
He told Norwich Crown Court he went to police after he heard Anthony Obariase had been arrested and Honorato Alberto Christovao, 54, had died.
Mr St Paul and Mr Obariase, 28, both of Newham, east London, deny murder.
The prosecution has said Mr Christovao was lured to the car park on 10 February by drug gang members from London who wanted revenge for an earlier kidnap and attack.
Giving evidence, Mr St Paul, of Keogh Road, said he believed the aim of the trip was to "serve someone" [drugs] and that, once at the car park, Yiadom and another man walked off to "sort something out".
'State of shock'
The jury was told he then heard a woman scream, and saw Yiadom holding Mr Christovao, and the other man holding Mr Christovao's girlfriend.
"He hit him [Mr Christovao] pretty hard, because he made a noise like 'ow' and he put both hands on his head," Mr St Paul said.
He added: "The man was on the floor. I don't know how he got there. Spencer did a stamping motion towards the ground - at least two stamps."
He said that later, Mr Obariase, of Norwich Road, who had driven the men to Norwich and remained in the car, was arrested for a murder and asked Mr St Paul to go to police.
Mr St Paul said: "I was in a state of shock. I decided to go to police, hand myself in and tell the truth."
The court heard Mr St Paul went to a Norwich police station on 21 March, and had asked for witness protection because he feared being a "snitch" would cause him and his family "serious harm".
He claimed Yiadom had warned him "he knew what would happen" if he spoke to police.
He said he was arrested and his solicitor advised him to give "no comment" answers.
Yiadom, 22, of Saville Road, who changed his plea on Wednesday, and Lucy Browne, 35, of Borrowdale Drive, Norwich, who has admitted manslaughter for helping to lure Mr Christovao and his girlfriend to the car park, are due to be sentenced at a later date.
The trial continues.