A prosecution barrister has dismissed as "nonsense" a carer's claim that he chopped up ex-boxer Shaun Cummins' body in panic, fearing he would be wrongly blamed for the death.
Thomas Dunkley (29) denies murdering the 45-year-old former champion, claiming he died of natural causes.
Mr Cummins' body was found in 10 pieces in two freezers at his home in Marriott Road, Saffron Lane, Leicester, on September 12 last year.
Dunkley, of no fixed address, claims he was Mr Cummins' best friend and gave up his job to look after him.
The boxer retired in 1995 and a motorbike crash in 2004 left him paralysed from the waist down and virtually bedridden.
He told the jury he cut up the body in panic and was unable to explain why.
He said: "I thought if he'd died in my care then I'd be to blame."
William Harbage QC, prosecuting, said whilst cross-examining the accused: "That's nonsense.
"Nurses were coming in to see him and in any view he'd been unwell towards the end of August."
At Leicester Crown Court, Dunkley said: "I wasn't in my right frame of mind.
"I panicked."
Mr Harbage said: "You could have rung a doctor, 999 or the police.
"You could have rung your mum who was just around the corner.
"You could have rung your twin brother.
"Your family members could have helped you, it's obvious?"
Dunkley said: "Yes."
Mr Harbage said: "The reason why you didn't ring anyone was because you killed him?"
Dunkley replied: "No that's not true."
Mr Harbage said: "Shaun's dead and you decide to decapitate and dismember his body?"
Dunkley said: "Yes."
Mr Harbage said: "That's going to put you immediately into trouble with the authorities and give grievance to his family and friends.
"How's that going to help you?"
Dunkley replied: "I don' t know what thought processes I was thinking from.
"I wasn't seeing right from wrong."
Mr Harbage said: "You went from a position where you'd done nothing wrong to committing a serious offence (dismembering the body)?"
Dunkley: "Yes."
Mr Harbage: "Because someone might blame you that a man who was unwell had died from natural causes, according to you?"
Dunkley: "The fact I didn't ring the doctor, I may have been to blame."
He said: "I was depressed. Someone had just died in front of me and I panicked."
Mr Harbage said: "You knew he was unwell and you saw it as an opportunity to kill him whilst he was weak and not as strong as he normally is?"
"No," said Dunkley.
Dunkley claimed he felt suicidal and depressed at the time his friend died.
Mr Cummins was last seen alive by two community nurses on September 1.
In the days following the death Dunkley went on a shopping spree with the ex-boxers money and put a deposit down on a new car.
Dunkley also denies theft of Mr Cummins Bank of Ireland credit card or taking out a payday loan in his name, prior to the death.
He has pleaded guilty to preventing a lawful burial and four counts of fraudulently using Mr Cummins' bank accounts and cheques from his trust fund, after the death.
The prosecution say Dunkley was £16,000 in debt and dishonestly took £25,000 from the former boxer's bank accounts and trust fund.
The jury is expected to begin considering the verdicts tomorrow (WEDNESDAY).
