A man accused of murdering a dad by stabbing him through the heart came to Kent just a month after his prison release for a killing in Romania.

Dumitru Palazu, 49, had been jailed for 12 years in 2009 for causing the death of the father of his then girlfriend.

He told a jury at Maidstone Crown Court how he travelled to England to visit one of his daughters and then ran out of cash.

Palazu and his wife Florentina then moved on the Brotherhood Wood Caravan Site near Dunkirk and began working.

He said on the night of the killing he became aware of trouble between rival Romanians on the site and went outside to investigate. Palazu has admitted the manslaughter of Alexandr Constantinescu but denies murder.

Earlier the jury heard of the exchanges between Palazu and the trial Judge Adele Williams.

Speaking through an interpreter he told trial from the dock "I want to plead guilty to manslaughter. This is a thing that I admitted from the first day to the police station."

The judge then warned him that anything he said could be used in the trial.

Palazu replied: "I do understand and I will like to speak further to you.

"From the beginning I did not wish for this trial.

"For several months (inaudible) to the lawyers to let me say that I killed him. That is why I was raising my hand up. I want to admit it."

After sacking his legal team last week, Palazu then formerly pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

But the Crown Prosecution Service is pushing forward with its murder case.

Palazu told the jury how his eyesight was bad and he had gone outside his caravan without his glasses.

Palazu claimed an injury to his right hand had resulted in him only being able to use his thumb and first two fingers.

He said: "I heard shouting and screaming."

Palazu went outside and claimed he heard people from a rival area in Romania threatening to kill natives from Calarasi and then burn down their caravans.

He told the jury he didn't know how the knife came to be in his hand and was only aware someone had been stabbed when a friend told him he had "cut someone".

He added he had the weapon "to keep people from approaching me" but denied intending to injure anyone.

"I have no recollection of the knife coming into contact with Mr Constantinescu."

The 30-year-old was stabbed through the heart and later died from his injuries on April 7 last year.

The court previously heard in an incident caught on CCTV, Palazu is alleged to have run towards his victim shouting: “Move aside, I swear on my family’s life, I’m going to cut that one up.”

Prosecutor Philip Bennetts QC claimed that after trading blows, Mr Constantinescu was stabbed under the arm by Palazu as he raised it to throw another punch.

After he was stabbed, Mr Constantinescu is alleged to have said: “I know the bald one knifed me to death. I know I am dying. My only regret is that my child is to be left an orphan.”

The trial had earlier heard how Palazu had killed twice before, with convictions in his native country 10 and 30 years ago.

The jury was told he was convicted of manslaughter in May 1989 in Calarasi, where he had been drinking beer with friends.

It is said he kicked his victim, Anghel Aurelian, in the chin, causing him to lose his balance and fall.

He hit his head on a concrete platform, suffering a traumatic brain injury which led to his death.

Palazu was also convicted in 2009 of causing bodily harm resulting in the death of his father-in-law, Cotac Constantin.

The pair had been drinking in a bar called Sing Sing.

Mr Bennetts QC said: “The defendant’s lover, now his wife Florentina David, then arrived and the three of them left the bar and went to Constantin’s apartment.

“There was an argument and Palazu kicked and punched Mr Constantin in the head multiple times, which caused his death. The defendant was convicted of this offence in 2010.”

Judge Adele Williams told the jury that they should not be prejudiced because of the convictions.

The prosecution say it shows Palazu has a tendency to use unlawful violence.

The trial continues.

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