A MAN accused of killing a couple at their South Ham home says that footage thought to show him leaving the scene on his motorbike is actually of another biker because ‘he didn’t have his lights on’ and left 25 minutes earlier.

Geoffrey and Michelle Hibbert were found by police, stabbed to death at their home on Buckland Avenue in the early hours of Sunday, June 20, 2021.

They had been out the previous evening in Reading and had left their young son being babysat by ‘trusted friend’ Stanley Elliott.

Elliott was co-accused of stealing £28,000 from Buzz Bingo with Mr Hibbert in January 2020, which he says planned to ‘take the blame’ for as Mr Hibbert was worried about his son being taken into care if he went to prison.

READ MORE: Man had 'mind-blank' when quizzed by police

In the ongoing trial of Elliott at Winchester Crown Court today (Friday), jurors were once again shown police dash cam footage, which shows what appears to be a motorbike, leaving the street at approximately 2.06am.

Sarah Jones QC, prosecuting, had previously suggested that this was Elliott, leaving the scene of the crime.

Giving evidence, Elliott said that it could not be him seen in the footage, as he had left just after 1.40am, as both he and Mr Hibbert were tired and hadn’t sat and chatted as they might usually.

He said he left the street without immediately putting his lights on because he was concerned they would reflect on the windows of other properties at an unsociable hour.

Ms Jones asked Elliott: “So you are saying that there is another motorbike and gets mistaken for you?”

When the defendant agreed, Ms Jones continued: “That’s you isn’t it? Trying to get away as quickly as you can.”

Elliott responded: “No, that is not even my headlights”.

Elliott told the court that he pulled over on Western Way, near Worting Road, to check for his phone and realised he had left it behind, before continuing on his journey home.

Ms Jones said: “Why did you not just turn around and go and get your mobile phone?”, to which Elliott responded: “I was thinking that [Geoff] said that he was tired and wanted to go to bed, and I was tired, so I just zoomed off. It’s not the first time I have left it there.”

Elliott said that, from there, he continued directly home.

However, Ms Jones put to him that he seemed, according to surveillance footage, to take a long time to travel between Worting Road roundabout and the Shell garage.

Ms Jones asked Elliott: “Did you do something? Did you dispose of a network video recorder? Did you see PC Sawyers’ vehicle and come off the main road and take one of the back roads to make sure you didn’t see any other officers?”

To each question Elliott responded “no” and blamed the delay on temporary traffic lights.

Elliott was arrested at his flat at Vidlers Farm, Kiln Road, Sherborne St John shortly after 4am.

SEE ALSO: Gang jailed for blowing up cash machines across Hampshire

He was taken to Portsmouth police station, which is where he first learned who he was accused of killing.

He previously told the court he had a “mind blank” and was advised by his solicitor to answer “no comment” to all questions.

He said: “It was just absolutely terrifying. I didn’t know what to say or what to do. I was just totally dumbfounded.”

When asked how he felt on learning his friends were dead, Elliott answered: “I just couldn’t believe what I was hearing”.

Elliott said that during his interviews some memories started coming back to him.

Ms Jones said: “So you remembered going to the property, and you remembered coming back. But you could not, at that stage, remember anything in the middle?” Elliott responded “no”.

Referencing evidence given earlier this week regarding Elliott’s brain damage, which can cause him “frequent outbursts of aggression and abusive behaviour” which he later cannot remember, Ms Jones continued: “Do you think you could have been incredibly aggressive in the gap that you had then, and just not remember what had happened?”

Elliott said that this cannot be the case, as the time spent in prison since “has brought back more memories”.

Ms Jones added: “Have you made up your memories? Like when you were going to give a false version of events about the Buzz Bing burglary, have you done the same thing here?”

Elliott responded: “In your opinion, yes I have, but in my opinion no I haven’t”.

Elliott, 53, denies two counts of murder and the trial continues.

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