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| Tia Sharp idolised man accused of murdering her, court hears | Tia Sharp idolised man accused of murdering her, court hears |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Tia Sharp idolised the man accused of murdering her and was "his cling-on", a court has heard. | Tia Sharp idolised the man accused of murdering her and was "his cling-on", a court has heard. |
| Jurors at the Old Bailey in London were read a statement by the schoolgirl's grandmother, Christine Bicknell, whose former partner Stuart Hazell is accused of murdering the 12-year-old. | Jurors at the Old Bailey in London were read a statement by the schoolgirl's grandmother, Christine Bicknell, whose former partner Stuart Hazell is accused of murdering the 12-year-old. |
| Bicknell said: "When Tia went missing it didn't cross my mind that she could be dead. I always thought she was coming home. | Bicknell said: "When Tia went missing it didn't cross my mind that she could be dead. I always thought she was coming home. |
| "It didn't cross my mind that he would hurt her. He loved Tia, she idolised him." | "It didn't cross my mind that he would hurt her. He loved Tia, she idolised him." |
| Tia would frequently stay at Bicknell's house in New Addington, south London, and would ask Hazell if she could stay before she asked her grandmother, the court heard. | Tia would frequently stay at Bicknell's house in New Addington, south London, and would ask Hazell if she could stay before she asked her grandmother, the court heard. |
| In the statement, Bicknell continued: "The majority of the time he has her more than what I do. She is his cling-on." | In the statement, Bicknell continued: "The majority of the time he has her more than what I do. She is his cling-on." |
| Hazell, 37, of New Addington, is charged with killing Tia between 2-10 August. Her body was found in the loft of Bicknell's house in New Addington a week after she went missing. | Hazell, 37, of New Addington, is charged with killing Tia between 2-10 August. Her body was found in the loft of Bicknell's house in New Addington a week after she went missing. |
| Bicknell said all her grandchildren "loved him to pieces", adding that when she had thought back over her relationship with Hazell she had not noticed any particular changes, nor had any worries about him being around Tia. Hazell was not somebody she "dragged in from the street", but had had a relationship with him for five and a half years. | |
| "Tia was not the sort of girl you could groom," Bicknell said. "She was a mouthy 12-year-old – you couldn't force her to do anything. She is a mini Natalie [Sharp, Tia's mother], which is a mini-me. | "Tia was not the sort of girl you could groom," Bicknell said. "She was a mouthy 12-year-old – you couldn't force her to do anything. She is a mini Natalie [Sharp, Tia's mother], which is a mini-me. |
| "I knew nothing about her death. If I knew, he could be dead – I would be inside [prison] because I would have killed him. | "I knew nothing about her death. If I knew, he could be dead – I would be inside [prison] because I would have killed him. |
| "I found out the same time as everybody else, that Friday. I didn't know anything." | "I found out the same time as everybody else, that Friday. I didn't know anything." |
| Bicknell said Hazell would get argumentative after drinking vodka, but that she had told him not to consume it in the house. He would, however, drink lager and smoke two cannabis joints a day. | |
| Hazell, who had previously dated Tia's mother, moved in with Bicknell a week after his relationship with the latter started in 2007, the court heard. | |
| Earlier, prosecutor Jocelyn Ledward went through phone records detailing text messages sent by Tia and Hazell. | |
| They showed the 12-year-old arranging to meet him at a train station in Croydon on 2 August. That evening, Bicknell spoke to Hazell on the phone, and said she had heard Tia laughing in the background, the court heard. | |
| The records showed Tia's last BlackBerry message was sent at 00:42 on 3 August, and revealed that later that day Hazell called her phone, after he had allegedly killed her. | The records showed Tia's last BlackBerry message was sent at 00:42 on 3 August, and revealed that later that day Hazell called her phone, after he had allegedly killed her. |
| Bicknell said that a week after Tia disappeared she noticed a smell coming from somewhere inside the house. | Bicknell said that a week after Tia disappeared she noticed a smell coming from somewhere inside the house. |
| "On the Thursday night I noticed a smell in our house. It seemed to be coming from the small bedroom. I had a quick check around and I couldn't find anything. I had that smell before in my house and it was cat's mess. | "On the Thursday night I noticed a smell in our house. It seemed to be coming from the small bedroom. I had a quick check around and I couldn't find anything. I had that smell before in my house and it was cat's mess. |
| "The following morning I could smell it a bit worse than before." | "The following morning I could smell it a bit worse than before." |
| She said she had apologised to the police for the odour, telling them: "There's a horrible smell up there, one of the cats has shit somewhere and I can't find it." | She said she had apologised to the police for the odour, telling them: "There's a horrible smell up there, one of the cats has shit somewhere and I can't find it." |
| Bicknell's statement said they had no internet access at the house, adding: "Stuart didn't have access to the internet, he wouldn't have a clue how to do it, so he says." | Bicknell's statement said they had no internet access at the house, adding: "Stuart didn't have access to the internet, he wouldn't have a clue how to do it, so he says." |
| The court has heard that Hazell looked at indecent websites, searching for material on under-age girls. | The court has heard that Hazell looked at indecent websites, searching for material on under-age girls. |
| But Bicknell said: "Stuart doesn't use the internet as far as I know. I have been asked by the police if Stuart watched or downloaded pornography to his phone. I have never seen him do anything like that." | But Bicknell said: "Stuart doesn't use the internet as far as I know. I have been asked by the police if Stuart watched or downloaded pornography to his phone. I have never seen him do anything like that." |
| She said she had seen some pictures on his phone, but he claimed they had downloaded accidentally when he was looking for something else. | She said she had seen some pictures on his phone, but he claimed they had downloaded accidentally when he was looking for something else. |
| The court heard that Bicknell did not know why Hazell's semen had been found on the floor in Tia's bedroom, or why an Umbro top with bloodstains on it was found in her loft. | The court heard that Bicknell did not know why Hazell's semen had been found on the floor in Tia's bedroom, or why an Umbro top with bloodstains on it was found in her loft. |
| The trial continues. | The trial continues. |
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