Attackers made me put hand in murdered lover’s spilled blood

Court hears accused told mum he was set up

A MAN accused of murdering his girlfriend told his mum that two men had killed her and forced him to put his hand in her blood, a court heard yesterday.

Frances Rizzo said her son Keith told her that Neomi Smith was repeatedly stabbed while the couple were in her flat in Brechin.

Keith Rizzo denies murdering Neomi on June 9 last year.

Frances told the High Court in Glasgow that she visited him in Perth Prison later that month.

She said that when she asked him what had happened in the flat, Rizzo told her that two men turned on Neomi and warned him: “If you make a sound or shout for help, I will slit your throat.”

Rizzo told her he pleaded with them to take money instead.

Frances told prosecutor Duncan McPhie that Rizzo told her one man repeatedly stabbed Neomi before swapping places with the other, who had been holding him.

The court heard that after the second man stabbed his lover, he told his mum he was ordered to grab the knife after being told: “Take it or you are going to end up the same way.”

Jurors heard one of the men wiped the weapon on Rizzo’s jeans then demanded to put his hand in the blood on the floor of the flat.

Rizzo insisted he was then put in the shower, which was put on by one of the men. Frances said: “Keith stated he said to them, ‘You are not going to get away with this.’

The man said to Keith, ‘This is not the first time we have done this.’”

The jury were told the men had gone by the time Rizzo left the shower 10 minutes later.

The court heard Rizzo told his mum that Neomi had earlier handed a “wad of cash” to two men in a car while walking in Brechin.

Frances said one told him: “Stay there, mate, or I will hurt you… I will really f-ing hurt you.”

The trial, before Lady Rae, continues.