Basingstoke deaths: Babysitter denies killing 'extra nice' couple

A man who was babysitting for a couple on the night of their murder has told a court he is not their killer.

Stanley Elliott, 53, denies murdering 61-year-old Geoffrey Hibbert and his wife Michelle, 29, last June.

He told Winchester Crown Court that the couple had been "extra nice" to him for agreeing to take the blame for carrying out a bingo hall burglary.

When asked if he had stabbed them or been present he replied: "No... I can't understand where that has come from."

On the night of the attack Mr Elliott, from Sherborne St John, Hampshire, was babysitting the couple's young son while they went out in Reading, Berkshire.

The father-of-two told the court he watched television and had a "snooze" at the couple's home in Buckland Avenue, Basingstoke, Hampshire.

The prosecution claims he stabbed them to death after they returned while their boy slept in his room.

But Mr Elliott said there was no trouble on the night, and that he went home on his motorcycle.

He said he later realised he had left his phone at the house, which Mrs Hibbert used to make a 999 call as she was fatally attacked.

The prosecution claims she told the operator "Stan Elliott" was attacking her, but Mr Elliott said she may have said that because she realised she was using his phone.

He said he was asleep at his flat and was woken by police banging on his door.

Mr Elliott did admit to committing a £28,000 burglary of the Buzz Bingo hall in Basingstoke with Mr Hibbert, and told the court he was happy with his £4,000 share.

He said he was going to take the blame for it because Mr Hibbert was frightened of having his son taken into care if he went to prison.

The trial has heard that Mr Hibbert's phone was found in a roof space at the bingo hall, and that police found a court document at the Hibberts' home which stated Mr Hibbert had leant his phone to Mr Elliott at the time of the burglary.

Sarah Jones QC, prosecuting, said this could have been a motive for the murders.

But Mr Elliott said that he had not seen the document and was going to admit to borrowing the phone.

He told the court that he suffered a brain haemorrhage in 2007 which gave him short-term memory loss and "frequent outbursts of aggression".

When questioned by police he did not give any answers, but he said this was because "I had a total mind-blank so I was advised by my solicitor to say 'no comment' to everything".

Mr Hibbert died as a result of 58 stab wounds and blunt force injuries while Mrs Hibbert died of multiple stab wounds.

The trial continues.