Multi-millionaire publishing tycoon Felix Dennis 'admitted killing a man by pushing him off a cliff'

The confession, made in a drink-fuelled interview with a journalist, was later retracted by Mr Dennis who said he had been under the influence of a cocktail of alcohol and prescription medication.

The Oz trial defendant and former publisher of men's magazine Maxim, repeatedly told interviewer Ginny Dougary that he had killed a man but refused to disclose where the killing took place or who the man was. He said it happened roughly 25 years ago.

"I killed him. That's all you need to know," he said.

The 59-year-old described how he had attacked the man because he was hurting a woman. He added: "He wouldn't let her alone. She told him to stop. I told him to stop. Many people told him to stop. Wouldn't stop. Kept on and on and on.

"Made her life a misery: beat her up, beat up her kids, wouldn't let her alone, kept on and on - so in the end, I had a little meeting with him, pushed him over the edge of a cliff. Weren't hard."

Mr Dennis was asked if he should be revealing this. He was repeatedly advised to reconsider and retract the comments.

But he said: "Don't care. Anybody harms one of mine... if they harm one of mine, they'd better know what they are doing. And they'd always be warned. I wouldn't attack anybody without reason. But if they keep harming one of mine, then I have no option."

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The day after the interview, which was today published in a newspaper, Mr Dennis contacted Miss Dougary thanking her for an enjoyable evening. His note added: "You should forget one particular episode I recounted to you after the third or fourth bottle in the conservatory."

Several months later, a second letter was received in which he explained that at the time of the interview he was suffering from a form of anaemia and thyroid imbalance and had been prescribed Prednisolone and Carbimazole.

He suggested that the drugs, combined with the alcohol, could cause mood swings, severe exaggeration and a kind of manic or psychotic behaviour.

He was later told the article was to be published and that his revelations would be included. "It's a load of hogwash - I was drunk." he said. "I withdraw it unconditionally."

Mr Dennis, a former crack cocaine addict, is still best known for his part in the 1971 Oz trial which saw him and two other editors jailed for "conspiring to corrupt public morals" after they allowed schoolchildren to edit a magazine which contained obscene material.

They were acquitted and released. The entrepreneur has since amassed an estimated personal fortune of £750 million.

Last night his spokesman said he would not be using any of his money to sue the newspapers which had printed his confession.

"Felix doesn't sue journalists because he employs too many of them," he added.

A police spokesman said they would not be investigating the claims.