A MAN accused of murdering a couple at their South Ham home was ‘planning to take the blame’ for a £28,000 burglary at Buzz Bingo in Basingstoke, a court has heard. 

Stanely Elliott admitted to stealing the cash from the Leisure Park venue in January 2020, while giving evidence on trial for murdering Geoffrey, 61, and Michelle, 29, Hibbert in June 2021.

The couple were found stabbed to death by police in their bungalow in Buckland Avenue in the early hours of June 20 2021. They had left Elliott babysitting their toddler son the previous evening.  

Elliott, of Kiln Road Sherborne St John, was arrested shortly afterwards.

As previously reported, Elliott was a “trusted friend” of the couple and was co-accused of stealing £28,000 from Buzz Bingo with Geoffrey Hibbert.

The jury had heard that Hibbert had submitted a document to police on the day before he was murdered, claiming that his phone - left behind at the bingo hall - had been borrowed by Elliott on the evening of the burglary, and that he himself had not been involved.

READ MORE: Alleged murderer and victim co-accused in bingo burglary

In the opening of the defence case at Winchester Crown Court on Wednesday, February 23, Elliott took to the stand to give evidence. 

When asked by Chris Henley QC, defending, about the burglary, Elliott said that he had been asked by Mr Hibbert to “give him a hand” with it, in exchange for a cut of the money. 

The following day, Mr Hibbert gave him £4,000. 

When asked whether he thought the share was fair, he said: “”I thought that was a good little score. The work was nothing to do with me, he had done all the work.”

Mr Henley added: “We know that Geoff was planning to say that he was not involved in the burglary, and that he had leant his phone to someone.” 

Mr Elliott responded: “Yes, I was going to say that I borrowed the phone and say that he had nothing to do with it.”

When asked why he was going to do that, Elliott responded: “For [Mr Hibbert’s son]. He would have lost him to the social services if he had gone to jail.” 

Elliott said that on Friday, June 18 2021, he had a conversation with Mr Hibbert regarding the robbery. He told him that his solicitor had said that even if he took the blame, Mr Hibbert would be charged, but Mr Hibbert argued that the charges would be dropped. 

Elliott said: “So I thought nothing of it, and I was going to make the statement on the Monday.”

READ MORE: Couple 'savagely murdered' in Basingstoke home

The court heard that Elliott suffered a brain hemorrhage in 2007 when he was living in Devon with his then partner, and their son and daughter. 

The hemorrhage caused him a lifelong brain injury which forced him to leave his job as a construction supervisor. When his relationship broke down, he moved to Basingstoke, first living with a brother in Beggarwood, then Brighton Hill, and finally in Sherborne St John. 

He has been reliant on benefits, the court heard, based on his condition causing lack of concentration and “frequent outbursts of aggression and can exhibit abusive behaviour” which he would usually not remember afterwards.

In June 2021, he was spending his days doing “volunteer work”, he told the court. He had been doing gardening work the week in which the alleged murder took place.

When he was arrested, Elliott had a number of small scrapes on his body, which he told the court were caused by brambles in the garden he had worked on. 

He added that he had been introduced to the Hibberts by his brother, and had known them for about four or five years. He said he “got on great” with their son and would regularly babysit for free, and Mr Hibbert would spend time with him, working on his motorbike or visiting Mr Hibbert’s nearby farm where he kept livestock. 

Elliot, 53, denies two counts of murder. The trial continues.

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