A TEENAGER accused of murder has given a chilling account of the last moments of Blackburn jeweller Mohammed 'Tony' Karim and his wife Bilquis.

The 17-year-old, who has admitted robbery, is standing trial for the murder of the couple from Whalley Old Road, Little Harwood, Blackburn.

The youth, from the Whitebirk area of Blackburn, gave his account in police interviews, which were read out to the jury at Liverpool Crown Court.

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was handed over to the police by his parents a week after the Karims were brutally murdered in their Preston jewellers shop.

The youth was interviewed six times and originally denied any involvement in the murders, but changed his mind after his solicitors listened to police interviews with Christopher Gavin, 19, of Dorman Road, Preston, who has admitted the killings.

The teenager told detectives he was talked into the robbery by Gavin, who wanted the money to marry his girlfriend.

He said the two travelled to Preston twice before carrying out the robbery. On one occasion the 17-year-old said he was given a knife but got rid of it on the train because he did not want to go through with the robbery.

The youth told detectives: "I want to say now I didn't know any of this was going to happen. I didn't know anyone was going to get hurt. "I asked Christy (Gavin) if anyone was going to get hurt and he said no.

"When we got into the shop Christy asked to look at an engagement ring for his girlfriend.

"Then the phone rang, the man took the ring from Christy, his wife shouted, she said the phone was for him.

"He said right here we go, lets do it now."

The teenager told the police Gavin took out the knife and followed Mohammed into the back room of the shop.

The youth then told the police: "I thought he was just going to threaten him with the knife.

"He didn't, he just went straight up to the man and stabbed him in the stomach. I thought 'Oh my god what am I going to do now.'

"I was thinking 'Oh My God' when the woman started screaming and panicking. She jumped on Christy's back.

"That's when he turned round and stabbed her. When I looked he was stamping on the woman's head and kicking her."

The youth claimed Gavin told him to start grabbing as much jewellery as he could. While the two robbers were ransacking the shop a man knocked on the window but Gavin told him the jewellers was closed and to go away."

Earlier, the court heard Gavin proposed to his girlfriend Flora Thompson and gave her a ring stolen from the shop.

The couple then went out to celebrate in Blackburn town centre.

(Proceeding)

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