A MAN accused of being part of a gang which carried out a machete attack on a pensioner has told a jury how he tried to stop the violence.

Giving evidence at Bolton Crown Court Louis Hamilton claimed he did not know one of his friends was armed with a machete and it was not his idea to smash their way into the home of 70-year-old Malcolm Holman and his wife Dorothy at 7.40am on Sunday April 17 last year.

Hamilton, aged 27, of Hudson Close, Bolton, told the court that he was among five men walking along Bolton and Bury Road, Higher Ainsworth that morning after a Peugeot car they were travelling in had broken down.

The gang had spent the previous night drinking and taking drugs and he said that the group was headed towards the Toby Carvery in order to charge up a mobile phone so they could ring for a taxi or get a lift home when others decided to break into a house.

Hamilton denied suggestions by prosecution barrister Alaric Bassano and counsel for his co-defendants that he, along with Jacob Holland and another man, were the first to burst their way into the house and attack Mr Holman in the kitchen after demanding he hand over car keys.

Both Mr Holman’s arms were badly injured and the gang stole a VW Golf and a Mercedes parked outside the house.

Hamilton claimed, when walking along the Bolton and Bury Road, he had been lagging behind with Macaulay Heald whilst three others had gone ahead, turning into the Holman’s driveway before them.

“I went up the drive and the others had already gone in (to the house),” he said.

Hamilton said he did not see Mr Holman being attacked in the kitchen and, instead, went into the living room to search drawers for car keys.

“I looked to my left and there was a commotion happening. There was an old lady on the stairs.

“I was shocked. I didn’t expect to see anyone.”

He said that he saw his co-accused, Jacob Holland with a machete after Mr Holman had been attacked and claimed he tried to stop further violence.

“I was apologising. I was trying to de-escalate things. I was trying to sort things out because they (the other gang members) weren’t going anywhere without the keys,” he said.

Hamilton and Macaulay Heald, aged 20, of Ridyard Street, Little Hulton, deny aggravated burglary and intentionally causing grievous bodily harm. Their co-accused in the dock, Ashton Holland, aged 26, of Barry Crescent, Worsley admits committing the burglary but denies causing grievous bodily harm.

Jacob Holland, aged 27, of no fixed address and another man have previously pleaded guilty to committing the offences.

The trial continues.