Cooksey trial: Accused heard telling wife of his row with victim (From Wiltshire Times)
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Cooksey trial: Accused heard telling wife of his row with victim
12:57pm Wednesday 22nd August 2012 in Latest News By Chris Melvin
Richard Elmes
The trial of Richard Elmes for the death of Adrian Cooksey has been read a transcript of the defendant telling his wife he needs to stick to his story.
The court was read the transcript of a conversation between Mr Elmes, 51, of Semington Road, Melksham, and his wife on February 3 2011.
In it the pair discussed the second investigation into the death of Trowbridge builder Mr Cooksey. Mr Cooksey, 50, was found with head injuries in Spa Road, Melksham, in the early hours of March 8 2009 and later died in hospital.
Student Thomas Minshull, was later acquitted of manslaughter in the 2010 trial in which Mr Elmes appeared as a witnessed.
Mr Elmes had been out drinking with Mr Cooksey on the night he was killed but had denied being in Spa Road. He has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter and has admitted a charge of perjury.
In the recording he says: “I’ve just got to stick to my story haven’t I? It’s 99 per cent true.”
He later says: “The only bit I told porkies about was that I went down [Spa Road]. I remember going down that way and then coming back up but I never went right the way down there.”
He also admitted getting into a verbal altercation with Mr Cooksey saying: “As soon as he got a bit stroppy I said I’m f***** off. I can’t say I went down there, we had a row and I turned around
and came back, unless they wanted to know about the row.”
Earlier this morning the jury was shown notes taken by police on the morning of Mr Cooksey’s death in which Mr Elmes seemed to admit to being in Spa Road that night.
However, under cross examination, by Ignatius Hughes QC, DC Anthony King admitted the notes were not a verbatim record of Mr Elmes speech and that Mr Elmes had expressed doubts to which route home he had taken.
This afternoon the court is due to hear evidence from Thomas Minshull.
The case continues.
