THE man accused of beating Anthony Leecy to death broke down and wept in the witness box after looking at photographs of the "gentle giant's" horrific injuries.

Danny Derbyshire, 24, of Burnley Road, Accrington, has denied murdering mill worker Mr Leecy, Standen Road, Clitheroe.

Judge Justice Kay adjourned the Preston Court for 15 minutes to allow the accused to compose himself after Derbyshire broke down and wept while he was being cross-examined.

Derbyshire, an unemployed married father of one, is accused of beating the 27-year-old to death in a "savage and frenzied" attack in the early hours of April 1.

The dead man's battered and broken body was discovered the following morning in Mearley Brook close to Clitheroe town centre.

Derbyshire, a well-known snooker and pool player, had been drinking and playing pool for money with Mr Leecy on the night of the death. He later admitted to the police that he fought with Mr Leecy on the spot where he died.

But Derbyshire denied battering Mr Leecy to death. He went on to claim that when he left Mr Leecy a third man, David Haslam, was at the scene.

Mr Haslam, a council gardener from Clitheroe, was originally arrested on suspicion of murder and gave evidence at the trial.

He was with the defendant and the dead man in the Starkie Arms shortly before the killing and was owed money by Mr Leecy.

Prosecuting barrister Howard Bentham quizzed Derbyshire when he took the stand. The barrister rubbished claims by Derbyshire that Mr Leecy started the fight which ended with the two men struggling with each other in the brook.

He asked Derbyshire to account for the 30 minutes between being spotted on a town centre CCTV camera with Mr Leecy and when he flagged down a taxi and returned home to Accrington.

The taxi driver later told police Derbyshire's clothes were wet and muddy and he paid with a sodden £10 note.

Mr Bentham said: "I suggest that the half hour was filled in a large part with you beating Mr Leecy to death.

"I suggest you used a stone to batter Mr Leecy or certainly kicked him in the head and you knew perfectly well when you got home you had done him serious harm.

"You had you clothes washed, hid your trainers and lied to the police about where you had been that night."

Derbyshire replied no to all the accusations made by the barrister.

The judge was expected to start his summing up today and the trial is expected to last until early next week.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.