Accused 'dumped stained clothes'

A mother told a court that she went to look for her son's blood-stained clothes after he said he thought he had attacked a 14-year-old girl in a park.

Jessica Knight was stabbed about 20 times in a park in Astley Village, in Chorley, Lancashire, on 21 January.

French national Kristofer Beddar, 21, of Daisy Hill Drive, Adlington, denies attempted murder.

His mother Marion Beddar told Preston Crown Court her son said he had thrown his stained clothes over a bridge.

Mrs Beddar said her son called her to his bedroom after watching a news report about the attack.

'Lock me up'

"He said 'Mum, I think it must have been me'," Mrs Beddar said.

"I didn't say anything at first, I sort of turned around in circles. I said 'Are you sure?'.

"He said 'Mum, I'm not sure at all but I'm sure I was in the park'."

Mrs Beddar said her son told her that after waking that morning to find blood on his jacket and shoes, he had disposed of them by a bridge over a canal.

Mrs Beddar drove him to the bridge and was unable to retrieve his clothing, but did find one of his shoes.

The court heard that when Mrs Beddar told her son they would have to go to the police, he replied "I want to go" and said: "They'll lock me up forever".

Mr Beddar claims to have no recollection of the attack after drinking a half bottle of Jack Daniels.

The defendant, who grew up in France, came to the UK to live with his mother in May 2007.

Mrs Beddar told the court that he had never shown any signs of violence or bad temper towards herself or her partner.

Jessica, now 15, was walking through the park to meet a friend when the attack happened.

Had Jessica not received immediate help from passers by and urgent treatment at hospital, she would not have survived, the court heard.

The teenager's GP, Dr Carlos Irizar, said Jessica's speech has been affected and she has persistent headaches and learning problems.

In a statement Dr Irizar said: "Jessica's long-term prognosis is not good and there are concerns about her continuing progress, not only from her physical injuries but also from the psychological effect the assault has had upon her."

The trial continues.

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