Handwritten ‘kill plans’ in teenager’s bedroom
Police found handwritten “kill plans” at the home of a teenager who stabbed a shopworker to death, murder jurors have heard.
A selection of documents, including the “plans” as well as notes on psychology and “cold case” American killings, were recovered from a bedroom at Ethan Mountain’s house after he stabbed Joan Hoggett, the court heard.
Police found handwritten “kill plans” at the home of a teenager who stabbed a shopworker to death, murder jurors have heard.
A selection of documents, including the “plans” as well as notes on psychology and “cold case” American killings, were recovered from a bedroom at Ethan Mountain’s house after he stabbed Joan Hoggett.
The 62-year-old was attacked as she stacked shelves during her shift at the One Stop Shop in Fulwell, Sunderland, last September and pronounced dead in hospital that night.
Mountain, 19, of Heaton Gardens, South Shields, has admitted manslaughter but denies murder on the grounds of diminished responsibility and is being tried by a jury at Newcastle Crown Court.
Jurors have been shown an envelope which contained handwritten words on each side.
One side, which included the words “Kill plan A”, was about removing gunpowder and fuses from fireworks, sticking the fuses together, putting them in a container and getting “lots of nuts and screws”.
A paper bag of nails was recovered from the house.
The court heard the other side of the envelope, which had had the words “Kill plan B” written on, said: “Get petrol, get a bike, get ski masks and knives.
“Pour petrol on all the back garden. Light. Climb fence, get on bike, drive around front pour petrol through door flap and on windowsill, then run.”
The court heard police also found lists of cars and their registration numbers and descriptions such as “black short hair”.
Jurors were also shown handwritten notes about psychology and mental illness which were found during the search of the house.
The court was shown police body-worn footage of Mountain being arrested in Whitburn in the hours after the killing.
Detective Constable Nicola Bell told jurors she interviewed Mountain twice after his arrest but he made no reply to any questions after taking advice from his legal team.
She told the court: “In both interviews Ethan Mountain responded ‘no reply’ to all questions put to him. The only time he did respond was to show on a plan of Roker Park where he said he disposed of the knife he used to attack Joan Hoggett.”
The detective was asked by David Brooke QC about Mountain’s demeanour throughout the interviews.
She told the court: “During the first interview he refused to look at myself and my colleague, he kept his head on the desk.
“The second interview, it was almost like he was a different person. He continuously held a stare with myself.
“When I was showing him CCTV stills he refused to look at them as he was too busy staring directly at myself and my colleague.
“I don’t know if that was an attempt to intimidate or what it was. At times, he came across quite smug and appeared to be enjoying the process.”
The court heard after he was charged with murder, Mountain replied: “It wasn’t me, I wasn’t in the right frame of mind.”
“At times, he came across quite smug” DET CON NICOLA BELL
The trial continues