Martin Argyle, 50 of Lower Somercotes, is on trial at Nottingham Crown Court accused of murdering Stephen Byard by stabbing him once in the chest with a screwdriver.

A jury of seven men and five women was sent out to consider their verdict on Thursday lunch time.

The court heard earlier that the pair were feuding over Mr Byard's relationship with Argyle's former wife Susan Howells.

In Argyle's police interviews he at first insisted he had simply punched Mr Byard in the chest and had nothing in his hand at the time.

But Shaun Smith for the prosecution told the court that Argyle's actions had been measured and he had lied 17 times to the police during interview.

Argyle told the police: "I just wanted to talk to him (Mr Byard] and sort things out about the kids. He came towards me in a martial arts stance, I thought he was going to attack me. I

felt very threatened and needed to defend myself."

Argyle said he was "gobsmacked" when the police arrived to arrest him. Officers later recovered an illegal stun gun from his home that the court earlier heard had been used to threaten Mr Byard.

Only in his last interview did Argyle admit to having a small screwdriver in his hand when he punched Mr Byard, but insisted he would not have used it had Mr Byard not come towards him in a threatening manner.

Argyle told the police: "I thought I just punctured the skin, I did not think I had done too much damage. I did not mean to kill him, I just was not thinking, it just happened - bang."

In his summing up Shaun Smith, prosecuting, said: "Argyle lied 17 times to the police. He said he punched Mr Byard and denied stabbing him 13 times.

"Everything this man has done is measured. He deliberately went to Swanwick, he was not there by chance or passing through. He deliberately went there late at night.

"What was he frightened of to make him wash his clothes when he got home? He was frightened because he knew he had done something serious.

"He drove slowly away from the scene to see consequences of actions.

"He deliberately lied to the police."

Mr Smith also dismissed Argyle's claims that a shoulder injury prevented him from stabbing Mr Byard saying that earlier in the day he had been seen moving rocks on his drive way and using a spanner to work on machinery.

Mr Smith said: "On June 7 all Stephen Byard did was go out to make up with the woman that had rejected this defendant and this defendant stabbed him in heart. It was measured. That is murder. "

Peter Joyce, defending, dismissed claims that the killing was planned and measured saying that has Argyle intended to do it he would have taken a knife or a gun with him or waited for Mr Byard to return home.