Jury told that Banbury murder-accused said he had 'blood on his hands'

The 21-year-old, who together with four others is accused of involvement in the murder of Keith Green on February 13, was said to have made the comment to Trinity Merrills almost a month after the fatal stabbing.

The pair were said to have been intimate then, when he was in the bathroom washing his hands, Johnson said he ‘felt like he had blood all over his hands’.

Miss Merrills, who was outside the door, told the jury there was ‘nothing on his hands’ at the time.

That evening – the night of March 9 into the early hours of March 10 – Johnson allegedly said he ‘felt guilty’.

Junior prosecuting counsel Matthew Walsh asked Miss Merrills on Wednesday: “Did you ask him anything about what he meant? Did you have any idea what he was talking about when he said he was feeling guilty?”

“No,” she replied. “He just told me it would all come out in the end.”

She told Mr Walsh that she was in her cousin Shannon Alderman’s flat later that evening during an ‘incident’.

That incident, jurors were told, saw Ms Alderman stab her partner Kieron White – who gave evidence to the trial last week. Johnson was also present, it was said, having come to the Banbury flat with his friend Mr White.

Cross-examined by Johnson’s barrister Judy Khan KC. Miss Merrills confirmed that she told the police Johnson had ‘spoken about Keith a lot when Keith was alive, saying what they’d been up to and where they’d been’.

Ms Khan asked: “On the basis of what Callum told you, your assessment was Keith seemed like a nice guy.

“Keith had taken him and his siblings on holiday to the seaside.

“Keith had helped him buy a motorbike, that Keith had fixed his motorbike for him. In fact, he also told you Keith had taught him how to fix things himself.

“Everything he told you about Keith in that regard made you say to the police that he seemed like a nice guy, correct?”

Correct, she replied.

Five defendants, including a youth who cannot be identified for legal reasons, deny murder.

Mark Meadows, 25, and his half-brother Travis Gorton, 20, are said by prosecutors to have fatally stabbed the former's love rival Keith Green. 

Mr Green's partner, Louise Grieve, 38, her son Callum Johnson, 21, and the youth are said to have helped the men.

All deny murder. The trial continues.

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This story was written by Tom Seaward. He joined the team in 2021 as Oxfordshire's court and crime reporter.  

To get in touch with him email: Tom.Seaward@newsquest.co.uk

Follow him on Twitter: @t_seaward