Joanna died after rejecting her killer’s kiss

His full version of events was heard for the first time yesterday as defence QC William Clegg said Miss Yeates’s death was a tragic misfortune.

Tabak “completely misread the situation” before “Joanna went limp”, Mr Clegg claimed.

“It was pure chance that Vincent Tabak and Joanna Yeates ever met on 17 December last year,” the barrister told Bristol Crown Court.

Miss Yeates’s boyfriend, Greg Reardon, fought back tears in the public gallery as Mr Clegg said Miss Yeates was “bored and lonely” on the night of her death.

She invited Tabak into her flat after smiling at him as he walked past her kitchen window, Mr Clegg said.

“If Joanna Yeates had stayed for one more drink in the Ram pub, she’d be alive today,” the barrister said.

“If Vincent Tabak had left half an hour earlier to go to Asda, as was his intention, he wouldn’t be standing in the dock now.

“Tragically, Joanna didn’t stay for a last drink and went home, arriving around 8:30pm.

“Joanna went into her flat. She took off her coat, she took off her green fleece that she was wearing under her coat and put it on a chair, she took off her boots and she went into the kitchen.

“When in the kitchen she switched on the oven, presumably to pre-heat it before doing the baking she had been researching on the internet earlier and had spoken about to friends.

“She opened one of the two bottles of cider she had bought at Bargain Booze and maybe had a drink from it.

“She was bored and lonely.”

Mr Clegg said Miss Yeates and Tabak were virtual strangers – but were both at loose ends at their flats in Clifton.

He said: “Their meeting, like that night, like what followed was unplanned and it was pure chance.

“Vincent left his flat and he was walking towards his car, intending to drive to Asda, when he passed Joanna’s kitchen window.

“Her blind was up – it always was. It was broken, her boyfriend confirmed.

“The light in the kitchen was on. Joanna was in there. She looked up and saw Vincent, her neighbour. He noticed her.

“There was a nod and acknowledgement between the two and she indicated or beckoned for him to retrace his steps and to come in.”

Mr Clegg told the jury that the invitation marked an “unfortunate starting point for the defence case”.

“They then introduced themselves to each other and chatted, as neighbours would,” Mr Clegg said.

“She said that her boyfriend was away and she was alone, and he said that his girlfriend was away and he was alone.

“And as the two of them talked inside that flat, Vincent Tabak completely misread the situation.

“Joanna was only being sociable, as many neighbours would be, particularly as it was Christmas.

“He misread her friendliness towards him and made a move towards her as if he was about to kiss her on the lips.”

Tabak then put his arm around Miss Yeates.

“She screamed, it was a loud, piercing scream,” Mr Clegg said. “He panicked. He put his hand over her mouth to stifle the screams.

“He said to her ‘Stop screaming’. He said he was sorry.

“He took his hand away and she carried on screaming. He panicked.

“He put one hand around her throat and the other over her mouth.

“In seconds – far less than a minute – Joanna went limp. She was dead.

“He never intended to kill her. Nothing had been planned, nothing was premeditated, it was pure chance that he had passed by her kitchen window when she was preparing to start cooking.”

Mr Clegg said he would not try to justify Tabak’s actions after her death, saying his client was “living a lie” by attending dinner parties and attempting to carry on his life as normal.

Tabak took Miss Yeates’s sock and the pizza she had bought that night before putting them in a public dustbin.

Mr Clegg told the jury: “We all know what he should have done. He should have phoned police – he never did.

“That is something that he must bear responsibility for.”

Tabak denies murder but admits manslaughter. The case continues.