Accused says he "never met, seen or heard of" alleged victims of 1990 attack

A man on trial for a frenzied attack which left one woman dead in 1990, has told court today that he has "never met, seen or heard of" his alleged victims and that he has protested his innocence "all the way through".

52-year-old Rickie Michael Tregaskis is currently on trial at Jersey's Royal Court charged with murder and attempted murder.

Mr. Tregaskis told the court that he did not know Barbara Griffin or Emma Anton when they were attacked at flats at Le Geyt in 1990. This is despite him living at a nearby flat with his grandmother since 1978. 

59-year-old Mrs. Barbara Griffin and her 85-year-old aunt, Mrs. Emma Anton were stabbed in their home at 130 Le Geyt Road in 1990. Miss Griffin was killed in the attack while Miss Anton survived.

Today (3 May) the court heard his defence and Mr Tregaskis gave evidence.

Mr Tregaskis now suffers from Multiple Sclerosis and gave evidence from the dock, with an independent intermediary alongside to assist him.

The accused had to take regular breaks every 40 minutes while giving evidence as his condition means he gets very tired and his speech begins to slur. 

The jury heard a timeline of events according to Mr. Tregaskis, he told the court that earlier on the day in question (1 August 1990) he had purchased a Hitler youth dagger from a shop he regularly visited as he collected Nazi memorabilia, saying he was "fascinated by the Third Reich" - but that he had left that knife in a friend’s car later that day. 

Earlier on in the trial, the jury heard from several witnesses saying Mr. Tregaskis had confessed to them.

But today the defendant refuted that claim, saying it was "absolute rubbish" and that he has "never confessed to anybody" and that he had "nothing to hide".

The defendant also told the jury that although he had committed burglaries since the age of 13, they were always on commercial properties and schools, saying that they were an act of "anarchism" against society to "smash things up", but said he would never break in to domestic properties.

Mr Tregaskis was originally tried in 1991 for the crime and was found not guilty, but he is facing the charges again, after new evidence came to light.

Mr. Tregaskis denies both the charges.

The trial continues.