A man on trial in connection with the murder of Kevin McKinley lied to police three times “to protect his wife”, a court heard.

Lewis Wickenden repeatedly changed his story during police interviews while recalling the events of February 12.

That night Kevin McKinley, 32, died from excessive blood loss from being shot with a double-barrelled gun.

By his own admission Wickenden lied about how he came to be outside with Mr McKinley on the night, the nature of the beating he claims to have received, and what he did with the gun after it was used to shoot Mr McKinley.

In Wickenden’s initial interview with police the 26-year-old claimed his partner Michaela Sargeant fired the gun outside their home in Overy Street, Dartford while he was being attacked.

He immediately ran up to her, took it out of her hands and ran towards his car to drive away with it, Maidstone Crown Court heard.

In a his interview read out in court he said: “It was too big, I couldn’t fit it in the car, so I just dropped it and drove off.”

But after Richard Cordwell, the owner of the gun, gave a different story to police Wickenden admitted that he actually took the gun back to Mr Cordwell’s house that night, and did not drop it on the ground.

Wickenden acquired Mr Cordwell’s gun without his knowledge, or consent, the court heard.

In his initial interview Wickenden also claimed to have been in his six-month-old son's bedroom on the evening of February 12, when Mr McKinley began banging on the door and ringing him on his mobile to come outside and talk.

In the interviews read out, Wickenden said: “I said I wasn’t going to come out because I didn’t trust him.

"He said ‘I’ve got my son here, you’ve got your son, there’s not going to be any drama’. But I refused and then he left.

“After about 10 minutes I went downstairs into the lounge to work on my quad bike and then the next thing I know I was getting punched and dragged outside.

“I’m sure there were two other people going at me, hitting me.”

Sargeant’s statement described how Wickenden left the house of his own accord to speak to Mr McKinley.

When questioned Wickenden denied this, and said: “No, she wasn’t even downstairs. He (Mr McKinley) dragged me out. I’m not changing my story, I know what I saw and what happened to me.”

But in his final statement Wickenden admitted: “I went outside and put my hand out to shake his when he punched me.”

The couple also gave different accounts of the number of people outside their house just before the shot was fired.

In their first interviews with police both said a number of people had attacked Wickenden outside his home.

Sargeant said that two or three other armed men had “jumped out from behind the bushes” to attack Wickenden, but under questioning, admitted those people did not exist.

When he was told by police that Sargeant had changed her story, Wickenden too admitted he may have been “confused” over the number involved in the scuffle between himself and McKinley, and admitted it may have only been the two of them.

In his final statement Wickenden said: “I’m sorry I did not say this before, I wanted to protect my wife.

"She’s the most loving person I know. I’m sorry but I couldn’t help myself from trying to help her in my interviews.”

Wickenden’s distrust of Mr McKinley stems from an attack on his house made a month before Mr McKinley’s death, the court heard.

"She’s the most loving person I know. I’m sorry but I couldn’t help myself from trying to help her in my interviews” - Lewis Wickenden

On January 13, men wearing ski masks banged on Wickenden and Sargeant’s door and tried to break in while hurling abuse and threatening to kill them.

Police were called and in a statement Sargeant claimed they had shouted “we will burn your baby” through the letter box.

Wickenden had been growing cannabis in his house and was a frequent smoker of the Class B drug at this time.

During interviews read out in court he said he believed the attack was to get drugs.

He said he knew Mr McKinley was aware of the drugs, and believed he may have had something to do with the assault.

“I can’t be sure it was Kevin. But I don’t trust anyone anymore,” he added.

Wickenden denies assisting an offender and possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.

His partner Michaela Sargeant denies the murder and manslaughter of Kevin McKinley.

The case continues.