Jodi murder accused scratched '666' into arm, jury hears

Published on Sunday 26 December 2004 00:59

THE Jodi Jones murder trial has heard the teenager accused of killing the schoolgirl scratched "666" into his bare arm.

In a taped interview aired to the jury, Luke Mitchell told the police he scratched the numbers, said to be the mark of the devil, on to his forearm with a pair of compasses during a school break as a "dare".

He also said he had stubbed out cigarettes on his hand as a "party trick".

Mitchell also revealed details about his sexual relationship with Jodi and another girl in the interview, which was carried out at Dalkeith police station last year.

Mitchell, now 16, denies murdering 14-year-old girlfriend Jodi Jones on June 30 last year in woodland near Roan’s Dyke, between the Newbattle and Easthouses areas of Dalkeith, Midlothian.

During the interview, Detective Constable George Thomson asked Mitchell if he had self-harmed in the past.

The teenager replied that he had scratched "666" into his bare skin with a compass in a school break.

Asked why, he replied: "I do not know. Someone dared me."

Mitchell also said he had stubbed cigarettes out on his hands "a few times".

Asked why, he said: "Just a party trick, as they call it."

Thomson later asked Mitchell about the last time he had sex with Jodi before she died. Mitchell said it was in his room on the Saturday before June 30. He told police he and Jodi had had sex in his room "five or six" times, using condoms.

Thomson asked Mitchell if he had had a sexual relationship with other girls. Mitchell replied he had had sex "five or six times" with a girl called Kimberly.

Thomson asked when Mitchell had last had contact with Kimberly and Mitchell replied it was "Januaryish".

Cross examining Thomson in court, Advocate Depute Alan Turnbull produced phone records showing Mitchell appeared to call numbers associated with Kimberly 79 times between January and June last year.

Mitchell, who was 14 at the time Jodi died, has lodged special defences of alibi and incrimination. The trial continues on December 29.