Tony Eastlake was killed in Halliford Street in 2021

JAMES Peppiatt, the 23-year-old man accused of murdering the “flower man of Islington”, took the stand at the Old Bailey this week to claim he killed Tony Eastlake in self-defence.

Mr Eastlake, 55, a popular flower seller who had worked on his stall in Essex Road since he was 14, died just a few streets away in Halliford Street on May 29, 2021 following an argument about the death of his partner, Alicia Callaghan.

Mr Peppiatt, Ms Callaghan’s son, told the court there had never been any ill-will between the two men until the day of the killing, when he said the florist turned up at his home unexpectedly.

Diagnosed with dementia when Mr Peppiatt was 10, and suffering from Lupus, the court heard Ms Callaghan had made several attempts to end her life in the years before she was found dead in April 2021.

Some of her attempted suicides had been discovered by her son, whose father had been in prison during his childhood.

Mr Peppiatt, an insurance broker, had been shopping for a funeral suit with his father and had just arrived home to Elmore Street, near Essex Road, when Mr Eastlake came round unexpectedly.

Mr Peppiatt told the court: “He said, ‘Listen Jim, why are people ringing me up and blaming me for your mum’s death?’ He said he’d been getting calls all week from people saying he’s to blame.

“I said, ‘Ignore what people say, I don’t blame you.’ I said, ‘Deep down I do wish you told me about her trying to kill herself two weeks before, but there’s nothing we can do now’.”

He said Mr Eastlake replied, “Where the f**k was you when she killed herself?” and blamed Mr Peppiatt for her death.

Mr Eastlake’s daughter Paige at the stall near Essex Road station that was run by her father on the first anniversary of his death

Within moments a fight broke out, after Mr Peppiatt claimed Mr Eastlake had taken up a fighting stance. “My reaction was to hit him,” he said.

After the fight ended Mr Eastlake walked away, but Mr Peppiatt followed him.

“I wanted to continue arguing and fighting. I was hoping we could resolve it there and then,” he said.

Describing the moment he stabbed Mr Eastlake, he said the florist spun round with a knife in his hand and in a “fight or flight” instinct he grabbed it. They went to the floor before Mr Eastlake climbed on top of him, he alleged.

“I managed to free my right hand and from what I remember I punched him,” he said.

“He made a weird noise and got off me. He had a weird look on his face. I looked down and saw I’m holding Tony’s knife.”

“What was going through your mind?” his barrister Dean George KC asked him.

“Pure panic,” he replied. “I see a knife in my hand. Blood on the knife. I had no idea what had just happened. I started to freak out a bit, to be honest.”

The attack lasted less than 30 seconds. Mr Eastlake walked in the direction of a nearby car park and collapsed, while Mr Peppiatt went home.

The prosecution alleged it was Mr Peppiatt who brought the weapon to the meeting.

Julian Evans KC told the court: “What happened is you’re following him. His back is to you and with your knife in your hand you drive it into his back.”

It was said he later disposed of the knife in a stretch of canal, before leaving London.

When asked why he took three days to hand himself in, he told the court: “I needed a second to breathe. I wasn’t ready for prison.”

“You didn’t call the police because you hadn’t dumped your clothes, your phone, the knife.

“You hadn’t yet thought out the account you were going to give,” replied Mr Evans.

Jurors are expected to begin deliberating their verdict today (Friday).