Mother was urged to change her story, murder trial hears (From Daily Echo)
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Mother was urged to change her story, murder trial hears
10:17am Tuesday 15th May 2012 in News
Elliot Turner and Emily Longley
THE man accused of murdering Hampshire student Emily Longley has admitted trying to pervert the course of justice.
Elliot Turner, 20, spoke only to plead guilty at Winchester Crown Court yesterday to the amended charge of attempting to make his mother Anita Turner change her story.
Elliot’s father Leigh Turner, 54, who denies perverting the course of justice, then took to the witness box.
The owner of R E Porter jewellers, in Bournemouth, admits destroying a letter from Elliot to mum Anita, 51, but says he never read it.
Leigh Turner fought back tears as jurors were played bugged conversations from the family home in Queenswood Avenue.
Elliot is heard telling his mum to change her account to police.
Leigh Turner later broke down defending his son, who spoke of “losing it”.
“He does not get angry, he is a gentle clown, a stupid clown,” he said.
On discovering Brockenhurst College student Emily’s body, he said: “She was ice cold like an ice cube, like a crystal.
“I realised she had passed away and said: ‘You remind me of a butterfly, sorry butterfly’.”
Asked several times to explain what was said in phone calls to Anita and Elliot that morning, Leigh Turner said he could not remember.
He told the court he ripped up a letter from Elliot to Anita because he ‘feared the worst’ about what it might say.
Describing himself as “paranoid”, Leigh Turner said he also worried when he overheard the pair talking about a mallet, an argument and “being hit”.
Jurors also heard how, as the ambulance for Emily was on its way, Elliot Turner told his dad that he had packed a suitcase to leave for Spain.
Leigh Turner said: “I said: ‘don’t be so silly, you haven’t done anything’.”
The prosecution alleges that Elliot Turner strangled 17-year-old Emily in his bedroom in his family home in Queenswood Avenue, Bournemouth, on May 7 last year.
Elliot Turner denies murder and his parents deny perverting the course of justice.
Proceeding.
