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Claire Tiltman murder accused describes 'rage' stabbing | Claire Tiltman murder accused describes 'rage' stabbing |
(33 minutes later) | |
A man accused of killing a teenager has told a jury how he randomly stabbed a young woman 14 times after suspecting his girlfriend of having an affair. | A man accused of killing a teenager has told a jury how he randomly stabbed a young woman 14 times after suspecting his girlfriend of having an affair. |
Colin Ash-Smith, 46, told Inner London Crown Court he attacked Charlotte Barnard, 21, in Greenhithe in 1995, "to take my frustrations out on someone". | Colin Ash-Smith, 46, told Inner London Crown Court he attacked Charlotte Barnard, 21, in Greenhithe in 1995, "to take my frustrations out on someone". |
The ex-milkman also said he offered support to the family of Claire Tiltman, whose murder he is accused of. | |
He denies killing the 15-year-old in an alleyway in Greenhithe in 1993. | |
Ash-Smith was jailed in 1996 for the attack on Ms Barnard and another woman. | |
'Bit of a scumbag' | 'Bit of a scumbag' |
The defendant told jurors he was in a seething rage on the day he stabbed Ms Barnard because he believed his girlfriend, Stella Murrell, was having an affair. | |
He said he had arranged to pick up Ms Murrell from work, but he arrived 15 minutes late and she had already left. | |
"I had it in my head that she was seeing someone else and I thought she got a lift with him," he said. | "I had it in my head that she was seeing someone else and I thought she got a lift with him," he said. |
The court heard he began driving around the area to search for "anyone" to take his frustration out on. | The court heard he began driving around the area to search for "anyone" to take his frustration out on. |
He targeted Ms Barnard after abandoning a plan to attack a man he had spotted. "I thought 'They will do instead'," he said. | He targeted Ms Barnard after abandoning a plan to attack a man he had spotted. "I thought 'They will do instead'," he said. |
Ash-Smith said he had "felt relieved" after stabbing Ms Barnard and "didn't care" what happened to her. | Ash-Smith said he had "felt relieved" after stabbing Ms Barnard and "didn't care" what happened to her. |
However, he admitted he now felt "a bit of a scumbag for doing it", as "she should have been able to go about her business without me coming across her." | However, he admitted he now felt "a bit of a scumbag for doing it", as "she should have been able to go about her business without me coming across her." |
'Wanted to kill' | 'Wanted to kill' |
The defendant then went on to tell jurors he and his father Aubrey had grown close to Claire Tiltman's family following her murder. | The defendant then went on to tell jurors he and his father Aubrey had grown close to Claire Tiltman's family following her murder. |
"After it happened, my dad and I volunteered to help support them in any way we could through the British Legion Club and I got to know them reasonably well, her parents," he said. | "After it happened, my dad and I volunteered to help support them in any way we could through the British Legion Club and I got to know them reasonably well, her parents," he said. |
When asked about the murder by David Nathan QC, defending, Ash-Smith said he had been angered by the effect the murder had had on Claire's parents and he "wanted to kill" her killer. | When asked about the murder by David Nathan QC, defending, Ash-Smith said he had been angered by the effect the murder had had on Claire's parents and he "wanted to kill" her killer. |
He insisted that at the time of Claire's murder he had been driving his mother, who was a Labour councillor at the time, to a constituent's home. | He insisted that at the time of Claire's murder he had been driving his mother, who was a Labour councillor at the time, to a constituent's home. |
When asked why his girlfriend Ms Murrell had reported he was acting strangely in the days following the murder, he said the event had upset many people in the area. | When asked why his girlfriend Ms Murrell had reported he was acting strangely in the days following the murder, he said the event had upset many people in the area. |
The trial continues. | The trial continues. |
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