THE 17-year-old who played a part Jayden Parkinson’s burial can now be named as Jake Blakeley, the younger brother of her killer Ben.
Yesterday, a judge at Oxford Crown Court lifted a Section 39 order of the Young Person’s Act banning publication of the teenager’s identity, after an application by the Oxford Mail.
He has already pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice after he aided 22-year-old Ben Blakeley in hiding his dead ex-girlfriend in a Didcot cemetery.
But Jake denies preventing a lawful burial and said he had no idea they were hiding Jayden’s body – claiming Ben told him they were first burying weapons and later, a dog and a cat.
Giving evidence last week, which can now be reported, the teenager, who is the second youngest of five children, said he was too frightened of his older brother to ask questions. He also told the jury Jayden was his “friend” and he never would have helped Ben if he had known what he had done.
Asked by Richard Latham QC if he “thought the world” of his co-defendant, he replied: “He was my older brother.”
The barrister added: “Family came first and you have to stick together and do what’s necessary, was that the relationship you had with Ben?”
Jake said: “To a certain extent, yes.”
Mr Latham asked: “Did you think he trusted you?”
Jake said: “He acted like he did, but now I think he didn’t trust anybody.”
The teenager has admitted helping Ben by bringing him clothes on December 3 last year – the day he killed Jayden. He also aided him in digging two holes to hide Jayden’s body, first in a ditch near Upton on December 5 and then in the Didcot cemetery on December 8.
On both occasions he said Ben sent him away so he could not see what was being buried, and he did not suspect it was a body.
But Mr Latham told Jake the claim that his brother had told him they were burying weapons in the ditch did not make sense.
He said: “He didn’t mind you seeing his weapons at all, you regula-rly saw his hammer and his knife, you had seen his Samurai sword.
“What possible harm could it do?”
Jake said: “When Ben asked me to do things I never really asked questions.”
When Mr Latham said: “You are not stupid, are you?,” the teenager replied: “At the time, looking back, I think I was, yes.”
The jury was also told about a text message Jake sent Ben on December 4, after Jayden had been killed.
It said: “You know I love you innit [sic], I won’t hate you, you’re my older brother.”
Ben Blakeley admits manslaughter and perverting the course of justice but denies murder.
Both brothers are remanded in custody and the trial continues.
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