Brunshaw double murder trial jury hears of ‘cell admission’

Another man being held in an opposite cell at the time has told a jury he thought the other person was joking when he heard that.

Preston Crown Court has been hearing evidence of an alleged conversation in the custody suite at Burnley following the deaths of 55-year-olds James Atkinson and Neil Gilmour.

Mario Savino told the court he heard a conversation between two people - one voice was from the cell opposite and the other from round the corner.

One asked the other what he was in for and the other replied for the two murders in Burnley. “He said they deserved it,” said Mr Savino.

Mr Savino told the court “I thought they were bull.... , a person admitting to a double murder, mouthing off. I wouldn’t think somebody would be that thick to own up to two murders. I thought it was just boasting.”

Under cross examination, defence counsel Mr Jeffrey Samuels QC suggested he heard nothing like that. But Mr Savino insisted “I heard a man say he had killed two people and they deserved it.”

He did not tell police at the time about it, as he thought the man had been joking and made his statement in November after a police officer got in touch.

The jury also heard details of a statement, signed by a youth who had been in a cell at Burnley Police Station at the time Daniel Waddington was also there.

Kenneth Howson (25), of Williams Road, and Daniel Waddington (23), of Pine Street, both Burnley, are on trial at Preston Crown Court where they deny the murders of James Atkinson and Neil Gilmore in Waddington Avenue, Burnley, last October.

Excerpts from the 17-year-old’s statement were read to the court, in which Waddington was reported to have said “We just

battered them, kicked .... out of them”. The statement also contained: “Danny said ‘I went home, left Kenny there. Kenny took some photos of the bodies on his phone.”

But the youth insisted in evidence he could not remember anything about his time in custody, having spent £150 on beer and taken ecstasy pills.

The youth was also said to have told police: “I was really shocked about what Danny had said about Kenny taking dead photos on his phone. I felt sick.”

However, the witness told the court: “I wouldn’t say something like that. I can’t remember none of this.”

He went on to say he had no recollection of making a statement on October 8th and while at the police station had been “in a right state”, falling over and being sick.

The youth had earlier told the court “I still can’t remember to this day. I can’t even remember giving a statement. The statement I’ve read doesn’t sound like what I’d say”.

The trial continues.

Don’t miss Tuesday’s Express for more on this dramatic court case.