Murder accused 'lied in panic'

Mar 12 2008 by Joanne Douglas, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

MURDER accused Christopher Hill admitted lying to police about what happened the night teenager Robert Broadbent was fatally stabbed.

Hill said he “panicked” when he realised there were no signs of life on Mr Broadbent after the stabbing on October 7 last year.

Hill had earlier driven the 18-year-old and a 16-year-old boy around Huddersfield as they dealt drugs to other people.

He claims the 16-year-old schoolboy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was responsible for Mr Broadbent’s death and fled the scene afterwards.

But the court heard on Tuesday how friends of the defendant said he told them that he wanted revenge for an incident in 2006.

On September 25 2006, a group of men tied Hill up in his own home and hit him with a bat.

He was later told that Mr Broadbent was one of the men.

It is alleged that Hill told several friends that he would kill Mr Broadbent after finding out he was involved.

It is further claimed that Hill made racist comments about Mr Broadbent.

All of which he denied in court yesterday.

Hill, 40, of High Royd, Lepton, said: “There was no animosity between us at all then. We were getting on fine.

“On that night, Robert said to park up which I did. I thought he was meeting someone else for a lift.

“I left the car for a wee and when I came back Robert was lying between the two seats.

“I turned round and (the teenager) was stabbing Robert and cutting Robert on his torso and body.

“He was cutting Robert’s throat, he was standing over him.

“I put my hand out to stop him and grab hold of the blade and I was cut myself.

“I was screaming at (the teenager) to stop and then he fled the car.”

Hill says he tried to find a pulse but panicked and drove off with the lifeless body in the car.

“I was very erratic,” he added. “I don’t know what happened after that. I know I challenged two red lights.

“I didn’t take him to hospital because I couldn’t find any signs of life.”

The body of Robert Broadbent was found in a car at Lockwood Pond on October 7 2007.

Hill was arrested at the home of a friend early the same day.

Prosecutor David Hatton suggested to Hill that the reason he did not take Mr Broadbent to hospital was because he planned to dispose of the body at Lockwood Pond.

Hill refuted the claim.

Mr Hatton then suggested that Hill fled when he realised the car had not gone into the pond.

Hill denied the suggestion, saying he exited the car while it was still moving.

Mr Hatton also put it to him that the reason he shed all his clothes was to get rid of evidence. Again, Hill denied the statement was true.

He said he couldn’t explain why he had taken all his clothes off.

He did however admit to lying to his friend Chris Rowe and to the police during interview about a car-jacking.

He agreed that it was a deliberate lie intended to mislead.

“I was petrified about what I’d seen,” he said.

“I saw somebody murdered in my car. I was a wreck.”

He also denied the allegations that he’d confessed the killing to his sister.

But he admitted that he was “very angry” about Mr Broadbent’s involvement in the attack in 2006.

Hill’s previous convictions were revealed to the jury on Tuesday, which included three offences for cannabis cultivation and a public order offence.

The trial continues.