A young man accused of killing a former celebrity minder in a machete attack claims he only pulled out a blaze because the victim’s father was swinging a baseball bat.

Tommy Roome and Tarrell Hinds were both just 19 at the time they allegedly murdered 27-year-old Ricky Hayden outside his home in Gibbfield Close, Chadwell Heath, last September.

Hinds, of Chigwell, and Roome, of Chadwell Heath, deny the murder charge, an attempted murder charge of Mr Hayden’s father, Paul Hayden, and a charge of wounding with intent.

Jurors at the Old Bailey heard Mr Hayden had run outside in only a pair of boxer shorts, believing the youths on a moped were about to snatch his brother's scooter.

He then confronted the machete-wielding youths along with his 21-year-old brother Perry and their father Paul, 55, the court has heard.

Ricky suffered a deep stab wound to his thigh and died in the early hours of the following day.

The court heard the defendants had gone to Gibbfield Close that day to look for two other brothers, Carter and Latham Jordan, with whom Roome was involved in an ongoing dispute.

Giving evidence, Roome told jurors they stopped because they thought they saw one of the Jordans' cars.

Hinds had an initial conversation with a man in the street, although Roome said he did not hear what was said because of the engine noise from his moped.

His co-accused jumped off the back of the moped again just as the defendant spotted three men running down the road, he said.

When he saw Paul Hayden had a baseball bat, Roome said he put his hand on the handle of his knife in its sheath.

He told jurors: "They got closer to me. He was trying to hit me. I pulled the knife out of the case. I got hit.

"At one point I dropped the knife on the floor. I reached out to pick it up. It was a stand-off and that was it."

Roome told jurors he was not aware he had hit Paul Hayden with the knife and the only reason he got it out was because the older man was "swinging a baseball bat".

He insisted he never intended to try to kill Paul Hayden or do him really serious harm.

As Paul Hayden turned away from him, Roome ran towards Hinds who was a few feet away.

Roome told the court: "When I got close I tried to pull him out. There was just blood in the road. I panicked and ran down the road."

Roome said he could not restart the moped so he took a pedal bike, which one of his friends had been riding, and left.

Afterwards, Roome said he stashed the knife in a bin shed and disposed of the bikes and a bloodied jumper he was wearing.

The trial continues.