Murder accused 'smirked' as he told shop worker of attack

A SHOP assistant told a murder trial how a man "smirked" at her while saying that he had given his friend "three deep jabs".

Elizabeth Reynolds, 43, who worked at the Drinkers Paradise off-sales in Broxburn, West Lothian, said Christopher Bouhadi, 25, was talking to her in her shop on 29 May last year.

Miss Reynolds told the High Court in Livingston yesterday that she had served Bouhadi and his friend Barry Fleming, then 28, a few times in the shop and they "seemed nice boys".

She was giving evidence on the second day of the trial of Bouhadi, who denies murdering Mr Fleming, of Broxburn, in the town's Station Road, on 29 May, 2009.

Miss Reynolds said on the night of the murder she had seen Bouhadi swearing at Mr Fleming in the shop. Later, she said Bouhadi had come back to the shop. "He said 'he got three deep jabs', with a smirk on his face," she said. "He showed me his hands and there was blood on his right hand."

In addition to pleading not guilty to murder, Bouhadi, formerly of Almondell Road, Broxburn, denies having an article, namely a knife, in his possession and attempting to defeat the ends of justice by binning it.

The trial continues.