Serial killer denies shifting blame

A convicted serial rapist and murderer who named his childhood friend as an accomplice to his crimes has denied trying to shift blame.

John Duffy told an Old Bailey jury that he fully accepted his part in the rapes and murders and was not making excuses for himself by claiming David Mulcahy was also implicated.

Duffy was sentenced to a minimum of 30 years in 1988 for murdering Alison Day, 19, and Maartje Tamboezer, 15, and for a number of rapes, but was cleared of killing TV presenter Anne Lock.

Mr Mulcahy, a builder, of Chalk Farm, north London, has denied raping and murdering the three women, seven further rapes and five charges of conspiracy to rape.

'Wicked bond'

The prosecution described the two men, both 41, as soulmates who formed a "unique but wicked bond" to hunt down women.

Duffy now alleges his friend actually murdered 29-year-old Mrs Lock at Brookmans Park, Hertfordshire in May 1986.

Alison Day was murdered

He also claims Mr Mulcahy took part with him in raping and murdering women and a series of other sex attacks between 1982 and 1986.

While in jail, Duffy confessed to further attacks on women and named his friend as partner in some of them.

Duffy - giving evidence for the prosecution for the seventh day of the trial - denied he was trying to shift the blame onto Mr Mulcahy.

"I did what I did," he told the jury.

He said although he had raped but not killed Mrs Lock: "I still have a responsibility - I walked away and turned my back."

"If I could stand trial for it now, I would," he told the court.

For more details of the murders click here.

When asked by Mr George Carter-Stephenson QC, defending Mr Mulcahy, whether he was trying to make excuses for himself now and move the major responsibility onto someone else, Duffy rejected the suggestion.

"I have raped and killed young ladies - I accept that and I have accepted that from the beginning," he said.

On Friday, Duffy told the court how he and Mr Mulcahy had been school friends and used to go out shooting at people with air rifles.

Their friendship continued after they both got married and used to go out together at weekends.

"We would plan it quite meticulously," said Duffy.

"We would have balaclavas and knives. We used to call it hunting. We did it as a bit of a joke. A bit of a game."

The trial, which is expected to last for four months, was adjourned until Tuesday.