A friend of Colchester coin collector Gordon McGhee who was allegedly murdered by a fellow enthusiast has denied being responsible for the killing.

Giving evidence at Ipswich Crown Court during the trial of Danny Bostock, who is accused murdering Mr McGhee, Daniel Welham denied a suggestion from Bostock’s barrister Alison Levitt QC that he had gone to Mr McGhee’s flat on the night of his death while he was “angry and losing control”.

During re-examination Andrew Jackson, prosecuting, said to 35-year-old Mr Welham: “It’s being suggested that you murdered Mr McGhee” to which Mr Welham replied: “I had nothing to with it whatsoever. I wouldn’t do that.”

During his evidence unemployed Mr Welham, who was a volunteer at a homeless centre, said he knew 52-year-old Mr McGhee through Melissa McGory, who was one of Mr McGhee’s neighbours in a block of flats in Forest Road, Colchester.

He described Mr McGhee, who lived alone as “warm hearted” and generous.

He said in the hours before Mr McGhee’s death he had been drinking in a courtyard at the Forest Road flats with Mr McGhee, Bostock, Miss McGrory and another woman.

After Mr McGhee went to bed Mr Welham and Bostock had carried on drinking in Miss McGrory’s flat and there had been an argument between him and Bostock during which Miss McGrory had deliberately cut her arm with a knife and Bostock had also cut himself with a knife.

Miss McGrory had gone to hospital and Mr Welham told the court he had gone home.

Bostock, 32, of Berberis Walk, Colchester, denies murdering Mr McGhee and attempted arson being reckless as to whether life would be endangered in the early hours of August 22.

It has been alleged that Bostock, who was also a coin collector, murdered Mr McGhee after McGhee disturbed him during a burglary at his ground floor flat.

It is also alleged that after stabbing Mr McGhee 14 times Bostock tried to cause a gas explosion by turning on the gas oven and setting light to a cloth to destroy evidence.

“He wanted to destroy his body and all traces of what he’d done,” said Andrew Jackson, prosecuting.

The court heard that McGhee was a collector of rare and valuable coins, including special edition 50p pieces which bore images of Beatrix Potter characters.

The trial continues.