I did letter for murder accused, says killer

Dantis, who is serving 24 years for the brutal murder, was giving evidence at the trial of Khalid Sarwar, 29, who denies murdering the 54-year-old woman in her flat in Glasgow on 9 December last year.

He told the High Court in Glasgow that he was shown a lengthy document by Sarwar in Barlinnie prison. He said he summarised the contents in a three-page letter.

Dantis, 31, was shown a letter by Dorothy Bain QC and he told her: "That is what he showed me. I said I couldn't understand it and I asked if he wanted it written better."

It begins: "I don't want to identify myself right now for safety or myself and my family. I and another two men are responsible for the murder of Mrs Jamel, who is Omar Jamel's mother.

"The other two men were Safraz and Aamer, both are from Govan. I have wanted to confess but am scared for my family safety."

The letter goes on to describe the killing of Mrs Jamil, saying: "Safy hit her with a hammer he got from his bag. I grabbed kitchen knife and started stabbing her on neck , arms, legs, stomach and she was still alive.

"I put Fairy Liquid in her mouth and made her drink it. She chocked on it and she was bleeding a lot.

"By the time Safy hit her with hammer she stopped breathing and there was blood everywhere in kitchen."

The condensed letter also said that Sarwar, who witnessed the assault, was innocent.

The jury heard that Dantis was convicted in January this year of murdering 23-year-old Khusbu Shah and cutting off her head and hands with a cleaver.

He was asked by defence counsel Thomas Ross why, if the jury at his own murder trial had not thought him a reliable witness, another jury should. Dantis replied that he had not wanted to come to court to give evidence.

Sarwar is accused of murdering Jamil by repeatedly striking her on the head and body with a hammer and screwdriver, or similar instruments, and hitting her on the head with a bottle and a piece of glass at the flat in Byres Road. The trial before Lord Brodie continues.