'Flawed young man's flawed confession'

Janet Murgatroyd died after a night out in Preston

A man accused of murdering a law student in Lancashire was "a flawed young man who made a flawed confession", a jury has been told.

Andrew Greenwood originally confessed to murdering Janet Murgatroyd but later retracted his statement.

In his closing address, Andrew Edis, QC, defending, said there were "real grounds for doubt" as to the truth of the confession, which was given to police in 1999 three years after Janet Murgatroyd's body was found in the River Ribble.

But earlier, the prosecution said Mr Greenwood told police things "only the killer would know".

Mr Edis said the confession statements showed inconsistencies "right from the very first words Andrew Greenwood uttered to the police".

Often his interviews corresponded more to media reports than what were later found to be the true facts, the jury was told.

The court was told no DNA evidence had ever been found to link Mr Greenwood to the crime, and Mr Edis referred to statements given by two psychiatrists who said Mr Greenwood was more likely than ordinary people to "get himself into a state of mind where he believes he did something without actually remembering where he was".

'Survival instinct'

Earlier, the prosecution told Preston Crown Court Mr Greenwood, 29, of Sephton Street, Lostock Hall, Preston, had changed his story out of "desperation" to avoid prison.

Paul Reid QC said Mr Greenwood gave police details of the case which corresponded to what was found at the scene, the state of Ms Murgatroyd's body and how it had been found in the river Ribble.

In his final address to the jury, he said Mr Greenwood's retraction "was a result of his basic instinct for survival when desperation took over".

He added: "He provided details only the killer would know."

Mr Greenwood denies murdering Ms Murgatroyd as she walked home from a night out in the city.

The case continues.