Murder accused from Tipton says victim was nice guy

According to Sam Arnold, aged 21, who is on trial for the murder of Daniel Indiga Wallace, he and the victim were drug dealers for another man.

Birmingham Crown Court previously heard how Mr Wallace, 24, had been hit with 19 blows to the head before being found dead in a pool of blood at his flat in Fisher Street, Tipton, on November 11 last year.

Arnold said: "He was a nice guy to be fair. We got on alright.

"We didn't have that much in common, only that we were both dealing.

"We used to go out the back of his for a spliff. I didn't see any kind of violent streak in him."

Arnold was questioned by his barrister Mr Jo Sidhu QC about a text message he received from the victim's phone that said: 'get the f*** round here now, I need my money'.

Arnold accepted that he owed Mr Wallace £20, but he understood the message to be from the man they dealt drugs for, using Mr Wallace's phone.

He said: "He used to use other people's phones sometimes to try and catch me out.

"I usually ignored calls if I knew they were from him because I normally owed him money or he wanted me to sell drugs.

"I owed him £180 at the time. He gave me low quality weed to sell and I was struggling to move it. I ended up smoking most of it because nobody wanted it.

"Dan let me have £20 worth that was good quality. We agreed that I'd pay him back when I got paid the following week.

"He never gave me hassle over money or put pressure on me."

Arnold told the court that the man they dealt drugs for had a 'reputation' and was 'part of a gang'.

He said: "He's not to be messed with."

On his history with drugs, he told the jury: "I first started smoking it when I was 17 and was dealing probably when I was 18 or 19.

"I started to do it so it worked out that I wasn't paying for it.

"I got addicted to cannabis. I've tried cocaine twice but I don't like it."

Arnold claims that friends told him of Mr Wallace's fate, and says he was babysitting with his girlfriend at the time the attack is believed to have taken place.

He said: "I heard about it from Scott Williams and Dan Lopes. They just said that Dan had his head smashed in.

"There was rumours that he had been shot as well. I'd been to Asda. I put the shopping away and made the tea.

"I watched TV with my girlfriend and we were looking after her sister's kids. I went out for a

bit later on to give advent calendars to my brother."

Arnold, of Slater Street, Tipton, denies murder.

The trial continues.