Witham: Double murder suspect denied knowledge of killings (From Braintree and Witham Times)

Witham: Double murder suspect denied knowledge of killings

2:27pm Monday 15th October 2012 in News

The man accused of murdering a vicar and a retired teacher denied any knowledge of the killings when he was arrested, a court heard today.

Stephen Farrow, 48, said the deaths of Rev John Suddards, 59, and Betty Yates, 77, were nothing to do with him.

Bristol Crown Court heard the drifter had been arrested in the early hours of February 19 in Folkestone, Kent, on suspicion of the murder of Mr Suddards, who was a former vicar in the Halstead area and Witham.

Police took him to Margate Police Station and at 10.15am two detectives, Det Con Michael Stone and Det Con John Shanahan, supervised the removal of Farrow's clothing for forensic examination.

Giving evidence, Det Con Stone read to the jury his notes of what Farrow had said to him: "There is a lot of mentalness gone over the last few months. You can do what you want, it's nothing at all to do with me."

At 10.45am, Farrow told the detective: "You're on the wrong track. I just want to find out what you think I have done."

Moments later, Farrow added: "I am buzzing off this. I just know I didn't do it."

Det Con Stone told the court that at 11am Farrow was arrested and cautioned on suspicion of murdering Mrs Yates and later that day formally arrested on suspicion of burgling Vine Cottage in Thornbury, South Gloucestershire.

Farrow denies the murder of Mr Suddards, whose body was found in his vicarage in Thornbury on the morning of February 14, but has admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

The defendant, of no fixed abode, also denies murdering Mrs Yates, who was found dead at her cottage in Bewdley, Worcestershire in January.

Farrow has admitted the burglary of a cottage in Thornbury, in which a note was found threatening to kill "Christian scum".

The trial continues.

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