A TEENAGER accused of knowingly digging holes to bury murdered Jayden Parkinson has been "playing stupid to win over the jury", the prosecution said.

Jake Blakeley, 18, is on trial at Oxford Crown Court for preventing the lawful burial of Miss Parkinson, who was strangled by his brother Ben in December 2013.

Jake, then 17, and Ben dug two holes - one in a field south of Didcot and the second in their uncle's grave in All Saints' Church, Didcot.

Ben hid the body of Jayden, who was 17 and pregnant, in one and then the other, but Jake denies any knowledge of this.

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He told the jury that he thought Ben was burying weapons and dead animals.

During the trial yesterday, prosecutor Matthew Walsh said: "When you were arrested and interviewed nine times by the police they made it very clear to you that your brother was being charged with murder.

"They told you there was no evidence Jayden was alive any more and that they needed to know everything about her disappearance.

"Why didn't you tell them about the holes you dug? Why didn't you tell them that Ben had told you he'd 'done something really bad'?"

Jake, of Venners Water, Didcot, said: "I didn't connect it and put the pieces together.

"It wasn't until the last couple of police interviews and when I was at court that it started coming together in my mind."

Mr Walsh said: "The police were asking you about Jayden, about your brother, about a black suitcase.

"You could have easily worked out that your brother was involved."

Jake told the jury: "I was not a smart kid. I used to think I was smart but I was stupid.

"I didn't put it together, I don't know how. I didn't want to believe it."

Mr Walsh said: "This is something you are playing up. You are hiding behind this act of stupidity.

"You were saying 'no comment' to the police so you were not pinned down to anything."

Jake denied the accusation and said he gave police evidence as soon as he realised he was involved in burying Jayden.

He said: "As soon as I realised I made every effort to help the police and assist them.

"There's not much more I could have done."

After his first court appearance in December 2013, he passed police a note saying where Jayden's body was.

He later showed officers where the first burial site was.

But Mr Walsh said: "You waited and told the police where Jayden was when it was in your best interests.

"You thought it would get you bail. You knew Jayden was there all along."

Jake replied: "That is not true at all."

The trial continues.


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