A MAN accused of murdering “his friend” by setting his caravan on fire told a jury he didn’t want to hurt him.

Darren Smith is on trial for the murder of his neighbour Richard Grenfell Thomas who died following a blaze at Beeches Residential Caravan Park in Magor.

The defendant denies the charge and claims the alleged victim started the blaze in his own home just before last Christmas, Cardiff Crown Court heard.

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His defence is that Mr Thomas started the fire himself by pouring petrol on the floor and igniting it.

Cross-examined by prosecutor Michael Jones KC, Smith, 43, told jurors he and Mr Thomas had a drunken fight during the early hours of December 20, 2021.

'He did some crazy things some times'

“I was hitting him with open palms,” the defendant said.

“I didn’t want to hurt him, he was my friend.

“I didn’t know he was going to start a fire, I thought it was one of his stupid stunts.

“He did some crazy things some times.”

Smith saw a “flash” and then “smashed” his way out of Mr Thomas’ caravan, the jury heard.

“I was scared for my life,” he told them.

“You are charged with murder Mr Smith, you say he effectively set fire to himself?” Mr Jones asked him.

“Yes,” he replied.

“Did you light him?” Mr Jones demanded.

Smith answered: “No, of course not.”

Mr Thomas died at a specialist burns hospital in Bristol hours after members of the emergency services had pulled him from his burning home.

It is the prosecution’s case that Smith attacked him in his caravan before setting fire to it and returning calmly to his own neighbouring caravan. 

Mr Jones has told the jury: “This defendant deliberately and repeatedly assaulted Mr Thomas and then set a fire in the caravan before casually walking back to his own caravan knowing that Mr Thomas would die."

The trial continues.