A jury has been read a letter of retraction written by a former Huddersfield man who previously admitted murdering two women in Ireland in 1997.

Mark Nash, 42, has pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin to the murder of Sylvia Shields, 60, and Mary Callanan, 61, between March 6 and March 7, 1997.

On Wednesday of this week, a jury of six men and five women heard that Nash – who used to live in Bradley – gave a statement to gardai on August 16, 1997 where he wished to volunteer information in relation to a double murder he “committed in Dublin five months ago.”

Yesterday James McHugh, former Assistant Garda Commissioner read an undated letter of retraction from Nash, blaming “media reports, teletext and radio” accounts for his knowledge of the double murder.

Nash stated he had nothing to do with the murders and would like his statement withdrawn” calling them the “bamblings of a very unsteady man” who “would have taken the rap for killing the pope if he had the knowledge.”

Mr McHugh told the court Nash said that when he made his statement to the gardai in Galway, he was “in serious mental anguish” and “in part was prompted by gardai in relation to certain aspects of the murders.”

Mr McHugh continued: “I was in the least shocked that my statement was taken seriously but I understand it has to be taken into account.”

Nash’s explanation into the knowledge were that it was based on “media reports, teletext and radio” accounts which gave considerable information on the crimes which he said at the time he took an interest in as “he was living in the area.”

Mr McHugh read from the statement how Nash also recalled overhearing “two gardai openly talking about the killings.”

Mr McHugh read: “I heard a new television had been left untouched. They even went so far as to discuss the brand and I overheard their conversation clearly.”

On Wednesday the jury were given two copies of sketches drawn by the accused on August 17 1997, the first was of the inside of the house, detailing the rooms where Nash said at the time he had murdered the two women.

In explaining Nash’s knowledge of the inside of the house at Orchard View in Grangegorman, Mr McHugh read: “As to the lay out of the house, I viewed many properties which were in the Grangegorman area, some which were end terraced areas, so I drew the layout to go with what I saw in houses elsewhere.”

Continuing to read, Mr McHugh said: “As with the house itself, three days after the killings I got a taxi to work and the taxi man drove past where the killing had taken place. I recall he slowed down to 2/3 miles per hour and pointed to where the women were killed and I took a good look at house including the entrances and the side path to the house. The taxi man gave his opinion as to what happened.”

The court were also read a letter send to Sarah Jane Doyle by the accused following her serious assault by Nash on August 16 in 1997.

It states: “I went mad. This is the second time I’ve gone this way and it lead to the same thing before. I’m insane and I don’t deserve to live.”

The trial continues on Tuesday.