The man accused of choking Erin Howlett to death nearly three years ago took to the witness stand in his own defence Tuesday.

Michael Ball told a Kitchener courtroom that he was “angry” after discovering that Howlett – his on-again, off-again girlfriend – was receiving sexual text messages from other men, but denied killing her.

Ball, 24, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and committing an indignity to a body in connection with the death of Howlett, whose remains were found in a duffel bag in the Grand River in July 2013.

His trial has heard that in the weeks before Howlett disappeared, Ball made numerous references to buying a duffel bag and duct tape “for Erin.”

On the stand Tuesday, he admitted to making those comments – but told the jury that he never followed through and purchased the items.

Ball’s testimony began with an explanation of how he met Howlett, a few months before her disappearance.

He described himself as someone who was “enjoying the partying too much and being lazy” during the first few months of 2013, and whose life at that time was “a blur.”

He said he had decided against returning to a full-time job at his father’s construction company, and had started dealing cocaine to support his own drug habit.

One day in April 2013, he said, he met Howlett while facilitating a drug deal.

“Erin was like ‘Hi handsome, never seen you before,’” he said.

Ball described Howlett as a “cool chick” who liked to party, and said the two began spending time together at his apartment on Chestnut Street in Kitchener.

He said he began to have doubts about their relationship a few weeks later, when Howlett conducted a drug deal for a friend, using drugs Ball supplied.

That, Ball testified, was “weird” and “not normally how it works” – and prompted him to take a look through her phone that night as she slept.

“I saw texts with other guys, and they were sexual in nature,” he said.

“Nobody wants to be cheated on. I was angry.”

After that night, Ball said, his relationship with Howlett began to fizzle.

“I came to terms with it,” he said.

“I suppose I was her drug dealer when she met me, and I was her drug dealer in the end.”

When asked by his lawyer if he regretted making comments that he would deal with Howlett by buying a duffel bag, Ball responded that he did.

Ball’s testimony continues Wednesday.