Guernsey Press

'I didn't know he carried a knife'

THE best friend of murderer Craig Rouget denied that he knew his pal carried a knife.

Published

THE best friend of murderer Craig Rouget denied that he knew his pal carried a knife. Eleven jurats decided unanimously on Friday to convict Rouget, 19, of the murder in September of 21-year-old James Dean. The trial had lasted two weeks and on day six, scaffolder Callum Queripel, 18, had told the Royal Court how he had been with Rouget when the fight broke out with Mr Dean.

'I was one of the closest there and I saw everything,' he said.

Mr Queripel said that at no time did he see a knife.

'I saw something silver later on and, as far as I knew, it was a screwdriver,' he said.

He said Rouget had reached behind his head and grabbed the screwdriver as he lay on the ground while Mr Dean and his friends were attacking him.

Mr Queripel, who, the court heard, was arrested with Rouget and was held in custody for three days, gave his account of how the incident had started.

He had been walking in the High Street with Rouget when someone, who could have been Mr Dean, directed a comment at a girl they were with.

'Craig said, ?Shut up, you fat wanker?, but not loud enough so he could hear it,' he said.

He said Mr Dean then walked towards Rouget at a faster than normal pace, grabbed him by the shoulders and headbutted him, causing his friend to step back.

'There were arms and legs everywhere and they both fell to the ground,' said Mr Queripel.

The men eventually separated. One of Rouget's shoes had come off in the fight and, when he went to pick it up, Mr Dean attacked him again, said Mr Queripel. One of Mr Dean's friends, Mark Rosamund, joined the fray.

Rouget got to his feet and he and Mr Queripel ran down the High Street towards the Albert Pier. Mr Queripel momentarily lost sight of his friend in the large crowd there and he next spotted him on the ground, with two of Mr Dean's friends kicking and punching him.

Mr Queripel and Rouget managed to get away and they hid in bushes at the South Plantation, where they swapped clothes.

Crown Advocate Fiona Russell asked if they had exchanged clothes so Rouget could talk to the police. Mr Queripel said it had been to provide an element of disguise for Rouget to avoid Mr Dean's friends, who were in pursuit.

Mr Queripel said he had not realised there had been a stabbing and thought the blood on his friend's clothes had come from a graze on his knee.

Advocate Russell asked why, after Rouget had left in a car, Mr Queripel had carried his 'Rouget's' torn and bloodstained shirt to North Beach car park.

Mr Queripel said he did not know.

Counsel said a decision had been taken by then to burn the clothes to destroy the evidence, but the witness denied that.

She asked whether Rouget was frightened of walking around at night.

'No, but I suppose it depends where it is,' said Mr Queripel.

He said he had not realised a stabbing had occurred until reaching Salerie Corner on the way to Rouget's house.

Advocate Russell asked why, if Rouget was so scared, he had gone out again after reaching his house.

'We left to speak to his brother,' he replied.

Advocate Russell said the men had left to destroy the bloodstained clothes because they knew that they could not do so at Rouget's house because the police would be coming.

Mr Queripel said he had found out Mr Dean was dead when a friend called him when they were at Le Picquerel Estate.

Advocate Russell said Rouget had admitted having been told earlier and it was difficult to believe he had not passed that on to Mr Queripel, his best friend.

She said Mr Queripel had discussed the case with Rouget prior to coming to court.

Mr Queripel said that was untrue because the advocate had told him not to. He admitted visiting his friend twice in prison and speaking to him a couple of times on the phone, but said they had not spoken about the case.

Advocate Russell said that was difficult to believe.

'The real reason your memory is so poor is that you are trying to help Craig,' she said.

Mr Queripel said that that was his story.

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