THE trial of Edward Randall, 30, and Nicholas Glean, 39, for the murder of Michael Barber, is proceeding at St Albans Crown Court.

Mrs Susan Rowe was called to the witness stand.

Mrs Rowe lived in a two bedroom end of terrace council house in Batchworth Hill.

Randall, her nephew had been living on and off with her.

Glean, the other defendant, was also staying there. Mrs Rowe had come to know him through her friend, Mickey Barber.

Both men were at the house at the time of the attack. Mrs Rowe admitted lying about this to police.

She said Glean had threatened to "blow her head off" if she did.

Mrs Rowe said there had been a "scuffle" between the three men, who then left the house.

Randall and Glean later returned home and said Mr Barber was sprawled out "like he was drunk"

A passing driver told the court she saw a man kicking another who was lying face down on the floor, before running off.

Mrs Rowe told the court she was unaware Glean - sentenced to six years for aggravated burglary in 1991 - was using her home as a safe house after a supermarket raid in which two people were tied up at knife point.

And she denied knowing the extent of Mr Barber's criminal record, including possession of firearms, wounding and GBH.

Glean and Barber had fallen out before the attack, she said, after Barber had smashed cars at Glean's garage. In revenge, Glean had ransacked Barber's flat.

Barber's promises of revenge did not scare Glean, she said.

The case continues.

The full version of events during the second day in court can be found in the Friday, January 18 edition of The Watford Observer.

The second week will be covered in the Friday, January 25 edition.