A murder trial witness has admitted stealing a Giro cheque from the man his uncle is accused of killing in 1998.

Convicted killer Andrew Coulter, blamed by his uncle for the 1998 murder of Surjit Singh Chhokar, admitted at the High Court in Glasgow on Monday that he had made a threat and armed himself with a home-made bat on the night of the incident.

Andrew Coulter, 35, denied taking a knife with him when he went with his uncle, murder accused Ronnie Coulter, and David Montgomery to meet Mr Chhokar in a row over the stolen Giro cheque.

Andrew Coulter was giving evidence at the trial of Ronnie Coulter, 48, from Wishaw, North Lanarkshire, who denies murdering Mr Chhokar in Garrion Street, Overtown, North Lanarkshire, on November 4, 1998 by stabbing him.

Ronnie Coulter has lodged a special defence blaming his nephew and David Montgomery.

Andrew Coulter told the High Court in Glasgow that he, Ronnie Coulter and David Montgomery went to see 32-year-old Mr Chhokar that night.

He admitted he had stolen a giro cheque from Mr Chhokar's flat in Caplaw Tower, Gowkthrapple, in the morning of November 4, 1998.

Andrew Coulter admitted telling Mr Chhokar's partner Elizabeth Bryce that "Chhokar was getting it."

When asked by prosecutor Alex Prentice QC what he meant by that, Andrew Coulter replied: "A battering."

Andrew Coulter told the jury he did not really want to go and see Mr Chhokar that night but agreed to do so after his uncle phoned him at 11.25pm.

The witness told the jury he took a bat made out of an old table leg which had been filled with lead and covered in tape.

He said: "I took the bat. If I couldn't talk to Chhokar, I was going to hit him with it."

Mr Prentice asked: "By this time had you spent the money from the Giro cheque?"

Andrew Coulter replied: "Aye. I was going to try to pay him back."

The prosecutor then asked: "Did you take the bat with you when you set off for Garrion Street?"

Andrew Coulter said: "Aye. My bat was up my sleeve."

The court has heard that before the three set off to see Mr Chhokar there was discussion about what they were going to do to him.

Mr Prentice asked: "Was there talk of violence, was there a reference to taking his eyes out with a spoons?"

Andrew Coulter replied: "No, I never said that."

The prosecutor asked: "What kind of things did you say?"

Andrew Coulter answered: "Breaking his legs. I was trying to act the hard man."

Andrew Coulter was asked by Mr Prentice: "Did you stab Chhokar," and he replied: "No. I hit him with a bat. I never stabbed him."

Earlier in his evidence, Andrew Coulter admitted he had killed a Patrick Kelly by stabbing him in the leg on September 11, 1999.

He was originally charged with murder but convicted of culpable homicide and sentenced to six years' detention.

Andrew Coulter also admitted being jailed for six months in 2006 for possession of a knife.

He was asked by Mr Prentice: "Who did you look up to then?"

Andrew Coulter replied: "Ronnie. He was like a dad to me."

The murder trial has already heard Ronnie Coulter, from Wishaw, was tried and acquitted of murdering Mr Chhokar in 1999.

His nephew Andrew Coulter and David Montgomery were tried and acquitted of the murder in 2000.

Ronnie Coulter denies the murder. He also denies forging a £100.70 Giro cheque and breaking into Mr Chhokar's flat and stealing a cooker.

The trial before judge Lord Matthews continues.