A SOLDIER accused of killing an Amesbury man in a pub car park sent a text to his mother just after the incident saying he’d been in a fight, a court heard.

Daryl Stephen Talbot, 22, denies killing 34-year-old Paul Garland, who was discovered unconscious outside the New Inn at 4.25am on New Year’s Day last year. He died of head injuries.

Opening the case for the prosecution this morning, Simon Edwards told Salisbury Crown Court that Talbot sent texts saying “Mum, I’m scared. I didn’t think anything of it but he (a taxi driver) said a lad had died. I think it might be the boy I had a fight with.”

The court heard Mr Garland had gone for a drink with a friend but the two had become separated in the early hours.

He had gone to try to find a cashpoint and on the way back to the pub he was captured on CCTV talking to Talbot’s girlfriend, Alexandra Smith.

The two are seen on the footage going into the car park and a few minutes later Miss Smith runs out, followed shortly afterwards by Talbot.

The couple then got a taxi and the text messages were sent shortly afterwards.

The following morning they both went to Amesbury Police Station when in a statement Talbot told police Mr Garland had squared up to him and tried to head butt him and that he’d punched him twice.

He said he didn’t know Mr Garland was badly injured and unconscious when he left the car park.

Mr Garland’s friend, Paul Dobson, thought he’d gone home but came out of the pub to find a bouncer administering first aid.

In a statement read to the court he said Mr Garland, a keen footballer who worked in IT, was “a really nice, friendly guy” and that he’d never known him to fall out with anyone.

The case continues.