Ligus jury played tape of ‘confession’
Tuesday 21st June 2011, 1:00PM BST.
A jury today heard a tape recording revealing the moment alleged Shropshire serial killer Robin Ligus confessed details of his murders to a prison mate.
The recordings were made at Gartree Prison, Leicestershire, in the mid-1990s by inmate Anthony Murray.
Ligus is on trial at Birmingham Crown Court for the killing Trevor Bradley, Brian Coles and Bernard Czyzewska in 1994, but has been ruled unfit to plead.
Mr Murray, who is too ill to give evidence, used the hidden tape recorder on his solicitor’s advice.
The poor quality recording, which has been enhanced in recent years by police, features Mr Murray asking Ligus many questions.
The jury, who listened to the evidence through headphones with subtitles displayed on monitors, heard Ligus referring to how he killed his “brother-in-law” Trevor Bradley for money.
Ligus said he took “two grand” from Mr Bradley to buy drugs in Liverpool.
But he told Mr Murray he did not want to confess to the murder because it would “hurt the old lady”, referring to his mother.
He also refers to having “felt great” after killing a man when he was 17 by drowning him in the River Severn and speaks of being “sly” by using an iron bar to hit victims.
Before the jury heard the tape Judge Mr Justice Colman Treacy warned of issues surrounding the evidence. He said: “Although the voices on the tapes are agreed to be those of Mr Ligus and Mr Murray, the circumstances in which the conversations were made is very much an issue.
“The defence is saying there are good reasons to believe he (Ligus) was pressured or manipulated into making the confessions.”
The trial continues.
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