Jury in double murder trial hears 999 call of mum pleading for her life to protect young son

A jury has heard a harrowing 999 recording of a mum pleading for her life in order to protect her son, while his babysitter allegedly stabbed her and her husband to death.

Stanley Elliott, 53, is standing trial at Winchester Crown Court, accused of the murder of 61-year-old Geoffrey Hibbert and his wife Michelle, 29 at their home in Basingstoke last June.

Sarah Jones QC, prosecuting, said that the defendant had been asked to babysit their young son while they went for a night out in Reading, Berkshire, on June 19, 2021.

She said the couple returned to their home in Buckland Avenue, Basingstoke, in the early hours where they were stabbed to death by the defendant while their son was asleep in his bedroom.

Ms Jones said: "Someone who they thought was a friend, someone who they had trusted to look after their child, Stan Elliott, has turned on them and had savagely murdered them in their home with their son sleeping in a nearby bedroom."

In a 999 call made by Mrs Hibbert, using the defendant's mobile phone, she can be heard pleading for the attacker to stop so she can look after her son.

She is heard telling the operator: "Someone has just stabbed me and stabbed my husband. I'm in my house."

Mrs Hibbert adds: "You have got to come soon or my husband is going to get killed."

She's then heard screaming ”No no no, please. I have got to look after my son.”

Yesterday, the jury was told that the killer may have walked into the room as the 999 call was being made.

Michelle Hibbert stopped speaking to the operator before police arrived and the operator is heard saying: ”Hello caller? Keep on the line and come to the phone.”

The jury was also shown texts sent to Stanley Elliott asking if he could babysit for the couple on the night of the killings. He agreed and texted “I will get there for about 8.”

They were then shown CCTV of the couple in Reading as they went to a sports bar in the town before coming home.

Ms Jones has told the jury that Elliott might have become angered in connection with a £28,000 burglary at a bingo hall that Mr Hibbert had been accused of committing.

The victim was due to appear in court accused of being involved in the break-in at Buzz Bingo in Basingstoke, because his mobile phone was found at the scene.

Ms Jones explained that a court document showing that Mr Hibbert claimed to have lent his phone to Elliott at the time of the burglary was found by police investigating the double murder in a bin at the victim's home. The prosecutor added it was not known for certain whether Elliott had seen the court document and whether this was the motive for the murders.

Later bodycam footage from one of the officers who entered the couples’ property was played in the court room. One officer was holding a taser and shouted: “Police officer- Show yourself.”

An officer said there were two people in the property with stab wounds - as well as a child who is heard on the footage screaming before being taken away.

The court has heard that Mr Hibbert died as a result of 58 stab wounds and blunt force injuries, while Mrs Hibbert died of multiple stab wounds and was found lying, partly naked, on the bed in their bedroom.

Elliott, of Vidlers Farm, Kiln Road, Sherborne St John, denies two counts of murder.

The trial continues.