A TEENAGER has blamed his friend for a fatal attack on an openly gay man.

Hairdresser Michael Causer, 18, was battered to death in an alleged homophobic attack following an all-night drinking session.

Gavin Alker, 19, is alleged to have participated in the assault which left Mr Causer with a lethal brain injury and is charged with murder.

But Alker, of Fleetwood Walk, Runcorn, yesterday told Liverpool crown court it was his friend James O’Connor that had carried out two separate attacks on Mr Causer.

O’Connor, 19, formerly of Huyton, but now of The Brow, Runcorn, has already admitted murder.

Alker told jurors he had gone round to the house party on Biglands Drive, Huyton, at about 6.20am on July 25, last year so he could carry on drinking with his mate O’Connor.

Shortly after he arrived, the teenager claimed he was urged to go upstairs because extremely drunk Mr Causer was "going wild".

He said initially O’Connor and others were trying to restrain Mr Causer, but he added: "Causer and O’Connor ended up rolling around the floor.

"O’Connor got up and stamped on his head."

He added: "I didn’t discourage it, but I didn’t encourage it.

"It all happened so quickly."

Young-looking Alker claimed Michael Binsteed, whose grandmother’s house the group were in, also pinned Mr Causer down and began to punch him, while shouting "stuff about kicking off in me nan’s house".

Alker went on to say that a couple of hours later O’Connor kicked Mr Causer in the face knocking him unconscious when he started an argument.

The suit-wearing teen denied ever shouting homophobic abuse and insisted he had not known Mr Causer was gay until being shown intimate and sexual photographs after O’Connor’s final assault.

But prosecutor Richard Pratt QC has told jurors Alker inspired the attack because of his disgust at the pictures.

He said to Alker: "You forcibly dragged him from the bed when he was not causing any harm at all. The two of you took part in a punching and kicking attack upon him.

"You were contemplating removing forcibly his facial piercings and you were burning the hairs on his legs and all that because you didn’t like the fact he was gay."

Alker responded: "No".

Binsteed, 18, of Evelyn Avenue, Prescot, has already pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice.

(Proceeding)