A teenager accused of murdering a hospital worker has told the jury that he tried to stop the attack.

The 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told Bradford Crown Court that when he saw his co-accused beating Tarquin Turner with a fence post he pushed him away.

The jury was told that the teenager saw William Charlton, 21, hit Mr Turner round the back of his head before having to go behind a wall to urinate because of a weak bladder.

The teenager said: "When I came back I saw William hitting Mr Turner with a stick."

"He was just going to hit him one more time but I pushed him away to stop him from hitting him again. I said 'what have you done all that for? There's no need for that'."

The court heard that the two defendants were walking on Intake Road, Undercliffe, Bradford, last October when they saw Mr Turner, 31, of Eccleshill.

The teenager, who denies murder, told the court that Charlton brushed shoulders with Mr Turner and then said: "Shall we tax him?" The teenager replied that he would rather steal some cars or burgle some houses. He told the jury that Charlton, who admits manslaughter but denies murder, then broke off two pieces of fence, ran after Mr Turner and knocked him to the ground.

He said: "He was holding it in both hands now. Mr Turner was on his back and William Charlton was hitting him with a the stick. The blows were landing on his face. I looked at Mr Turner's face and felt sorry for him, it was swollen and bleeding. William then said 'Get the stuff out of his pockets'," the teenager told the court.

He then said he checked for a pulse on the right side of Mr Turner's neck and checked to see if he was breathing. When he was sure he was he went through his pockets and took a phone, a wallet and a chain. When asked by his barrister, Malcolm Swift QC if he thought that the injuries were fatal, he said: "No, I did not."

The teenager told the court that he realised that Mr Tuner was dead when he saw a police tent on the grounds of Undercliffe Cricket Club. He told the court that he was upset, confused and started crying.

He was asked by Mr Swift: "At the time you took the property from his prostate body what did you feel?"

He replied: "I just wanted get some money. Now I feel proper gutted."

The teenager admitted that he took the property but denied that he ever held one of the fence posts and said that he did not hit Mr Turner with anything.

Earlier, Charlton, of Foston Lane, Fagley had told the court that he would not have tried to "tax" Mr Turner if he had no been drinking. He said that he "just went a little bit crazy, mental."

He was asked if he felt any remorse, and replied: "I felt remorseful as soon as I found out what had happened. I had just taken a man's life, of course I was remorseful."

The trial continues.