Tabak denies sexual motive in Joanna Yeates killing

JOANNA Yeates’s killer has been accused of strangling her for sexual thrills.

Vincent Tabak yesterday denied claims he was aroused by throttling the 25-year-old. He told a jury Miss Yeates had been cheerful while flirting with him.

Tabak, 33, said he was attracted to Miss Yeates but said sex was not on his mind as he attacked her.

Giving evidence at Bristol Crown Court, he was asked by prosecution QC Nigel Lickley whether his motivation in killing Miss Yeates was sexual.

“What’s the difficulty in accepting it is sexual?” the prosecutor asked Tabak. “Is it because there are other sexual elements to what happened?”

Tabak replied: “There were no other sexual elements.”

Mr Lickley asked: “Is the holding of her throat sexual in your mind? Did you derive sexual gratification from holding her throat?”

Tabak, who denies murder but admits manslaughter, replied: “Definitely not.” Mr Lickley asked: “Were you sexually aroused when you were holding her throat with your hand over her mouth?”

The defendant replied: “Definitely not.”