THE murder suspect accused of stabbing Ben Ford wept in court as he told the victim's family: "I'm sorry."

Ashley Grant repeatedly sobbed as he turned his face to the public gallery to make what he claimed was a genuine apology.

But he was told in reply: "It's too late for sorry."

Grant tearfully addressed the family of Mr Ford directly as part of his evidence from the witness stand on the fourth day of his trial at Hull Crown Court.

Grant, 26, of Fairway, Waltham denies murdering Mr Ford on June 19.

The prosecution claims he twice stabbed 23-year-old Mr Ford, of Duke Street, Grimsby, in the back with a knife during a fight in Hanson Way, Grimsby.

During his defence evidence, Grant admitted he lied during police interview after being arrested.

"I was scared," he claimed.

"I had just been told I had been done for murder and I am not a murderer. I thought 'I am not going to see my son again'."

Defence barrister, Jeremy Baker QC asked him: "Are you still lying now?"

Grant claimed: "I am telling the truth. It's got to come out."

Mr Baker asked him how he now felt about what he had done.

Grant replied: "Bad. Really bad. I feel bad for the family of Ben Ford."

He again turned to the public gallery and sobbed: "I am so sorry. I did not mean to do it. His words were again rejected by those in the public gallery.

Prosecutor Paul Reid told Grant he was not crying when he left Ben Ford for dead.

Grant agreed.

Mr Reid told him: "You are only crying now because of the predicament you have put yourself in."

Grant claimed: "I am crying because I have taken somebody's life."

Mr Reid told him: "That's precisely what you intended to do."

Grant replied: "No, I didn't."

Mr Reid told him: "You started this violence you went seeking revenge. You could not leave it alone.

"You had to show that you weren't a muppet. You weren't thinking of the consequences at the time of what you were doing."

Grant replied: "No."

Mr Reid accused Grant of shedding "false" tears.

"You are sorry for yourself. You did it deliberately. You took that knife and stabbed it into Ben Ford intending that it would terminate his life, said Mr Reid.

Grant claimed: "I am feeling sorry for the family."

Mr Reid replied: "Why did you not tell the police that? You lied and you lied and you lied. You did it again and again and gain."

Grant admitted lying repeatedly to the police during interview.

He claimed he himself was assaulted during a fight before he twice knifed Ben Ford in the back.

Grant claimed Mr Ford "whacked" him with a pogo stick on his back during a confrontation in Harold Street, Grimsby.

He slipped on the ground and Mr Ford "whacked" him again.

He admitted hitting Mr Ford. He said he ran off with Jamie Rushby to the home of Daniel Lytollis in Hanson Way.

While they were inside the house, he saw Jamie Short and Mr Ford outside.

He claimed Mr Short was waving a knife and Mr Ford had a pogo stick.

"I picked a knife up to arm myself because Jamie Short had one," he said.

"I went outside to say 'Back off.' I saw Ben Ford with this pogo stick battering Jamie Rushby with it.

"Ben was over him, hitting him."

Grant claimed Mr Ford pulled the pogo stick and went to whack him.

"I got a knife and I stabbed him twice, " he said.

He was beating Jamie Rushby and I thought I was next. I thought he was killing Jamie Rushby."

Defence barrister Jeremy Baker QC asked: "Did you know what you were doing at that stage?"

Grant replied: "No."

Mr Baker asked: "Did you want to kill him?"

Grant replied: "No. I just wanted him to go away. I just wasn't thinking what I was doing."

He claimed the first time he realised what he had done was when he looked at the knife.

"I walked back in Danny Lytollis's house," said Grant.

Danny Lytollis said: 'What are you doing?' I said: 'I don't know' He took the knife off me and said: 'Get out.' He was pushing me out the door.

"I went to run off. I knew I had done something horrible."

He said someone, probably Mr Short, hit him from behind and he "went straight to the ground."

He claimed he was battered by several people . Grant said he hid in a bush and when arrested gave a false story because he "knew he had done summat bad."

Grant told the court he was brought up in Leicester but came to Grimsby at the age of 17.

He had a two-year-old child with his girlfriend Hayley Bartlett.

The trial continues.