Witnesses describe fatal struggle

Liam Kilroe was stabbed with his own knife, the inquest heard

A violent struggle took place between a Lancashire shopkeeper and a robber before the offender was fatally stabbed, an inquest has heard.

Liam Kilroe, 25, from St Helens, died from a single stab wound to the chest after trying to rob Tony Singh in Skelmersdale in February.

Mr Singh told Preston Magistrates' Court that Kilroe attacked him "like a pit bull" before producing the knife.

Mr Singh was arrested but it was later agreed he had acted in self defence.

Kilroe smashed the window of Tony Singh's silver Ford Focus and demanded the shop's takings - £2,000 - as he left the Lifestyle Express store in Birleywood Road.

I saw the knife beside him and I thought if I do not get it he would probably stab me and run off Tony Singh

Giving evidence, Mr Singh said he jumped out of his car after Kilroe leaned through the window with a knife.

"I ran to the front of the car and he head-butted me in my face and was shouting 'give me the money, give me the money or I'm going to kill you'.

"When he had head-butted me I got up straight away and saw the knife in his hand so my first reaction was to grab his hand."

Mr Singh said he dragged the robber to the ground but was forced to pull away when he bit his face and began punching him "like a pit bull".

"I saw the knife beside him and I thought if I do not get it he would probably stab me and run off."

Det Supt Michael Gradwell, who led the investigation for Lancashire Police, said he agreed with Mr Singh's version of events.

Mr Singh was not prosecuted over the death

He told the inquest: "In my interpretation, Mr Singh was the victim of a vicious, violent and unscrupulous attack."

Mr Singh was stabbed first, the detective said, before adding that he believed the knife belonged to Kilroe, who had previous convictions for burglary, assault and armed robbery.

At the time of the attack Kilroe was on bail for two more armed robbery charges and was due in Preston Crown Court the next day.

Earlier, a neighbour, Deborah Barker, told the inquest that she thought Mr Singh had "lost it" during the incident on 17 February.

She said: "I was telling Tony to get off him because he was going to hurt him. I think he was just trying to keep him there until the police arrived."

Her husband, James Barker, who also witnessed the struggle, said the two men were "punching 50/50, both giving as good as they got."

Verdict appeal

He told the inquest he saw Mr Singh kneeling on top of Kilroe and punching him but did not remember seeing him use the knife.

Kate Stone, representing Liam Kilroe, asked the coroner, Dr James Adeley, to consider a verdict of unlawful killing.

She claimed Mr Singh owned the knife and had stabbed Kilroe in a dispute over drug money - an allegation Mr Singh categorically denied.

Linda Kilroe told the hearing her son had no reason to steal the money because she was supporting him financially to help him evade police, who wanted to question him about further armed robberies.

The coroner adjourned the inquest and will deliver his verdict on Tuesday.