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Farnham murder accused John Lowe: Deaths 'a terrible accident' | |
(about 4 hours later) | |
A man accused of shooting dead his partner and her daughter has told a court their deaths were "a terrible accident". | |
John Lowe, 83, denies murdering Christine Lee, 66, and Lucy Lee, 40, at his dog breeding farm in February. | John Lowe, 83, denies murdering Christine Lee, 66, and Lucy Lee, 40, at his dog breeding farm in February. |
The jury heard Mr Lowe had planned to kill one of his guard dogs that "hated intensely" Lucy, who was responsible for feeding them. | |
He told Guildford Crown Court Christine grabbed the gun and it went off. | |
The jury heard that when the defendant had taken the shotgun - which he used to shoot rats - from his gun cabinet he intended to kill four dogs. | |
'So stupid' | 'So stupid' |
He explained the dog that hated Lucy was "beautiful" and "lovely with me". | He explained the dog that hated Lucy was "beautiful" and "lovely with me". |
"I kept putting [killing] it off," he said. "[But] Christine said you better shoot that guard dog or it's going to kill Lucy." | "I kept putting [killing] it off," he said. "[But] Christine said you better shoot that guard dog or it's going to kill Lucy." |
Using a walking stick, Mr Lowe demonstrated how he had walked into the house in Tilford, near Farnham, Surrey, with the gun under his arm. | |
He said: "I've got bad arthritis. It was a ludicrous way to hold the gun. I never remember doing anything so stupid in my life." | |
Mr Lowe said both women "flew up to the door". | |
"[Lucy] was screaming in horror and the top of her voice, 'What are you doing with the gun?," he said. | |
"Christine said 'Give me the bloody gun', or something like that. | |
"The gun was facing her. She grabbed hold of the gun and held the gun. | |
"As soon as she grabbed it the gun went off. I couldn't believe it. | |
"I was thinking, 'Christ, I didn't pull the trigger'. Because she pulled the gun, it pulled my finger against the trigger." | |
Asked by defence barrister Ian Lawrie QC whether he intended to pull the trigger, Mr Lowe replied: "Of course not. | |
"She went straight down to the ground. You could see she was stone dead. | |
"It's the worst thing that's happened to me in my life." | |
Mr Lowe said he was "worried" for Lucy after he fired the weapon and as he turned towards her on the settee, the gun went off again. | |
"It must have been the flimsy, stupid way I was holding the gun," he said. | |
'Suicide attempt failed' | |
At that moment, he said Lucy ran into the kitchen and he thought she had not been injured. | |
Mr Lowe then said he reloaded the gun with the intention of shooting his dogs. | |
Going into the kitchen, he saw Lucy lying on a step with a coat over her, when "the bloody gun went off again", the jury was told. | |
"My hand must have touched the trigger and it went off," he said. | |
He told the court he then decided to shoot the four dogs, and kill himself. | |
After shooting the dogs, he said he put the shotgun under his jumper but when he pulled the trigger twice "it just clicked", because both chambers were empty. | |
"I killed them but I didn't murder them," he said. | |
"It was a terrible accident and it was all my fault." | |
The trial continues. |