Girlfriend of Babes In The Woods killer ‘told a string of lies’ during his trial

THE ex-girlfriend of “Babes In The Wood” killer Russell Bishop lied “prolifically” and “significantly undermined” his infamous 1987 trial, prosecutors have said.

Jennifer Johnson is accused of telling “lies that were important” in the tragic case, including about a crucial piece of evidence – a sweatshirt found near the scene.

Bishop was first tried for the brutal murders of schoolgirls Karen Hadaway and Nicola Fellows in 1987 but was acquitted.

The nine-year-olds were found sexually assaulted and strangled in a woodland den in Brighton in October 1986.

Bishop being found not guilty of their murders the following year “caused devastation” for the girls’ families but there was “another terrible consequence”, a jury was told: Bishop went on to attack another girl in 1990.

Ms Johnson is to claim she was acting under duress when she gave evidence at that 1987 trial, Lewes

Crown Court in East Sussex heard.

It was not until 2018 that Bishop was convicted of the killings of Karen and Nicola, and jailed for life with a minimum term of 36 years.

Ms Johnson, 55, is charged with perjury and perverting the course of justice, and appeared for trial yesterday after pleading not guilty.

The case was opened by prosecutor Alison Morgan, QC, who told the jury: “This defendant now accepts she lied in both the witness statement and when she gave evidence on oath during the course of Russell Bishop’s trial.

“By lying in the way that she did, it is the prosecution’s case that she wanted to help Russell Bishop to be acquitted of those serious offences of murder.

“She told lies that were important in the trial of Russell Bishop.

“In telling those lies, members of the jury, the prosecution alleges that she intended to pervert the course of justice, that is to say affect the outcome of that criminal trial in Russell Bishop’s favour.”

The jury were told Ms Johnson decided to “lie deliberately, in a sustained way and indeed prolifically”.

Ms Morgan told the court that Ms Johnson had lied about whether or not a sweatshirt belonged to Bishop.

Following his acquittal, it would be more than 30 years before he was convicted and jailed for the murders of Nicola and Karen.

The trial continues.