Relatives 'discussed Luke days after death'

RELATIVES of murdered schoolgirl Jodi Jones were discussing boyfriend Luke Mitchell just days after her death, a trial has heard.

Trainee bricklayer Gordon Dickie, 17, told murder hunt detectives about conversations with his cousin, John Ferris, before coming forward to volunteer information.

But as he gave evidence at the trial of Mitchell, 16, yesterday, Mr Dickie was accused of telling lies about his whereabouts at the time Jodi is thought to have met her death.

Donald Findlay QC, defending, challenged him: "Did you have anything to do with the death of Jodi Jones?" Mr Dickie replied: "No".

Earlier, the trial heard a similar question put to Mr Dickie’s cousin, drug dealer Mr Ferris - who supplied Mitchell and others with cannabis.

Mr Ferris, who made a similar denial, had been with Mr Dickie during the late afternoon of June 30 last year, the court heard.

Together they pushed and rode an old moped along a woodland path in Dalkeith, Midlothian, passing close to the spot where 14-year-old Jodi’s body was found hours later.

In the days which followed, both men made statements to the police in which they gave the wrong time for their moped ride.

On July 7 last year, just over a week after Jodi’s death, Mr Dickie told them: "John and I have been talking about everything and realised we had came up (sic) the Roan’s Dyke path about the time Jodi possibly went missing.

"We kept thinking about everything and talking about Luke."

The murder charge alleges that on June 30 last year - when he was 14 - Mitchell attacked Jodi of Parkhead Place, Easthouses, Dalkeith, in woods near Roan’s Dyke, hitting her and constricting her neck. The charge further alleges that Mitchell struck Jodi with a knife, before and after she died, inflicting wounds to her face, breast and abdomen.

He says that at the time he was in or near his home at Newbattle Abbey Crescent, Dalkeith, and that Jodi was murdered by person or persons unknown. The trial continues.