Teen was happy to admit manslaughter, court told
AMAN who admitted killing a schoolgirl in 1976 was “quite happy” to plead guilty to manslaughter at the time, a court has heard.
Noel Jones was jailed over the death of 15-year-old Janet Commins, whose body was discovered near Gwynedd School in Flint more than 40 years ago.
But he later retracted his confession, which he claims was false, and another man is on trial over the killing.
Stephen Anthony Hough, of Maes y Dre, Flint, denies the murder, manslaughter, rape and serious sexual assault of the 15-year-old between January 7 and January 11, 1976, when he himself was a teenager.
Yesterday a former barrister who acted as junior counsel for Jones’ defence 41 years ago told Hough’s trial he did not recollect the thenteenager claiming his confession statements were untrue.
Gareth Edwards told the jury he recalled Jones pleading guilty to the 15-year-old’s manslaughter and did not remember Jones instructing him that confession statements he signed were false.
“My recollection is he was quite happy to plead to manslaughter,” Mr Edwards said.
Prosecutor Mark Heywood asked: “Happy in the sense it was the lesser of two evils [rather than murder]?” to which Mr Edwards agreed.
Another witness, retired North Wales Police detective inspector Albert Roberts, gave evidence about when police took Jones to Flint to reconstruct his movements on the night the teenager was murdered and dumped in bushes.
The court heard Mr Roberts was present when Jones made and signed a confession statement admitting he was responsible.
Jones pleaded guilty to manslaughter and served half a 12-year prison sentence having never appealed his conviction but now claims he was made a “scapegoat”.
Giving evidence at Mold Crown Court Mr Roberts, who retired in 1981, read from a statement he’d made at the time about what Jones was asked and the answers he gave.
Defence barrister Patrick Harrington asked him if he was happy the drafting of the statement was done properly, to which he replied: “Yes.”
Mr Roberts was also present when Jones was taken to Flint in a police car and asked to reconstruct his movements, notes about which were recorded in police pocket notebooks.
When transcribed into statements, the notes said Jones admitted he lifted Janet’s body over the fence of the school playing-fields and when police suggested it “must’ve been a struggle” doing that on his own they asked if anyone was with him and Jones had named Michael Orford.
During cross-examination, Mr Heywood said in Jones’ first confession statement there was no suggestion he’d been with anyone and it was only when he was told that it “would’ve been hard to put someone over the fence” that his story changed.
Mr Heywood said: “Does that seem odd to you? There was no objective evidence to link Mike to the crime, nothing other than what Jones had said – did you pause to consider whether Jones was reliable?”
Mr Roberts replied: “As far as I’m concerned, he was very straight.”
But Mr Roberts admitted that when not asked questions Jones “wasn’t forthcoming”.
Mr Heywood asked: “Did he volunteer anything without police asking specifically about it?” Mr Roberts replied: “No, not really, he was just answering questions put to him.”
The retired policeman was told that during the trial Jones gave evidence describing feeling under pressure throughout both statements made at the police station.
“What do you say to that?” asked Mr Heywood. Mr Roberts replied: “Absolute nonsense.”
Mr Heywood said: “Mr Jones said he was bombarded with questions and went along with them.”
Mr Roberts replied: “He seemed all right to me – he was answering questions all right without any difficulty.”
Hough, 58, denies the murder, manslaughter, rape and serious sexual assault of Janet between January 7 and January 11, 1976, when he himself was a teenager.
The trial continues.