A MURDER defendant will decide this morning at Belfast Crown Court if he is willing to demonstrate to the jury, using the actual knife, how he fell and accidentally stabbed the victim.
Mr Richard Close (24), from Ballymaconnell Road, Bangor, said he did not want to take the knife in his hand, but Mr Justice McCollum told him the jury would like to see what happened. "You are the only person alive who can tell the jury exactly what happened".
The body of retired school teacher, Ms Daphne Taylor (59), was found with stab wounds to the neck near a coastal path at Ballymacormick Point near Bangor, Co Down, on December 1st, 1994.
Earlier, Mr Close described how Ms Taylor had been accidentally stabbed during a struggle. He claimed he had gone to the beach at Ballymacormick Point with the intention of committing suicide.
The defendant said he had rolled up his sleeve and was about to cut his wrists when the woman approached and tried to take the knife from him. There was a struggle when he tried to make her go away which ended when they both fell.
"I fell on top of her and the next thing I remember is I felt a warm sensation on my right hand. There was a lot of blood coming from the woman's neck."
He then panicked. He put the knife down, washed the blood off his hands, and went home. The hearing continues today.