For what I’m about to do, said ruthless Burke
KILLER Andrew Burke apologised to shocked travel agents and customers before slitting the throat of Cassie Hayes in the busy Chapel Street TUI shop.
One horrified witness told police the murderer said: “I just want to apologise for what I am about to do” before carrying out his attack.
The claim was just one of several shocking witness accounts revealed as Liverpool Crown Court heard the full details of the incident, which took place in front of children aged just 12 and nine.
Burke’s actions were branded ruthless, premeditated and planned as the prosecution laid out the case against the 31-yearold following the murder confession.
Gordon Cole, QC, explained how the entire incident was captured on CCTV in operation at the murder scene.
Ms Hayes was on duty when the dad entered the shop around lunchtime on Saturday, January 13.
Before his attack on Ms Hayes her colleague Moira Wrigley heard hooded Burke say: “I just want to apologise for what I am about to do.”
Following the attack Karen Vernon heard someone tell him: “You’re sick, there are children in here” – in response to which he was said to apologise, claiming he had not realised there were children present.
Stating the case against Burke, of Vincent Street in St Helens, Mr Cole said: “This was a premeditated and planned attack carried out in a totally ruthless way in front of a number of people.”
After attacking Ms Hayes, who was in a relationship with his former partner, Burke lay in the centre of the shop until police came.
He offered no resistance.
Burke took to social media to write “too late” on the day of the attack. He posted the sinister message along with a quote appearing to suggest he was fighting a losing battle against psychological demons.
The words said: “The lock on their cage in my mind is rattling. They’re reaching through the bars. I don’t know if I’m strong enough to stop them again.”
The Instagram post – possibly timed for publication after he killed Cassie – was the last of an increasingly menacing set of comments that began months earlier.