A court has today heard that a man on trial for murder previously described as a boxer was not professionally trained in the sport.
Prosecutors say Elvis Duruaku "stomped" on fellow student Hasaan Haadi in an Everton street on March 21 this year.
In a previous hearing at Liverpool Crown Court before a jury the prosecution alleged that the 24-year-old and Mr Haadi arranged a street fight over Mr Haadi's girlfriend, Simran Nijher.
At the previous hearing Tim Storrie, QC, prosecuting, told a court Duruaku had "trained as a boxer", which prosecutors claimed put him at an advantage before the alleged fight.
Mr Storrie said: "Elvis Duruaku had reason to be confident in that fight. The fact that he trained as a boxer was widely known and the subject of comment on social media. Plus, he was the bigger man."
He said: "Of the two men, it was the defendant who was better equipped to fight. He had every confidence that he was about to enter a fight that he would win, every confidence, as he put it, in his skill level as a boxer."
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Despite the claim he was trained as a boxer, the owner of the boxing gym the murder accused exercised at today told the court he couldn't remember Duruaku having ever sparred.
Kyle Gallagher, owner of the Liverpool boxing club Engine Room Boxing was asked if he had seen the murder accused spar with anyone else.
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Mr Gallagher replied "maybe" but added "not that I could recall".
He explained that Duruaku had used the gym for around five or six months, but told the jury heard he had never boxed competitively.
Mr Gallagher, who is also a trainer at the gym, said: "He did pad work, bag work and boxing training, but didn't box."
He added: "He started [boxing] to keep fit and enjoyed boxing but he wasn't a boxer".
Expanding on how long he would expect an amateur boxer to train for, Mr Gallagher replied "six to 12 months", adding that professional boxers often begin at very young ages.
[Proceeding]
