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Rico Dardis death accused 'told wife of murder in recording' | |
(about 4 hours later) | |
A man told his wife that he had killed another man at sea during a covert police recording, a trial has heard. | |
The dismembered body of Rico Dardis, 30, was found in the water off Christchurch, Dorset in May 2013. | |
Paul Gerlach, 52, of no fixed address, and Louis Borzoni, 50, from Bournemouth, both deny murder. | |
A recording of Mr Gerlach saying "I murdered him" was played to Winchester Crown Court earlier. | |
The trial previously heard the victim, from Boscombe, Dorset, had gone out on the boat with the two defendants on the Whitsun Bank Holiday Monday. | |
The prosecution alleges Mr Dardis was pushed into the water and run over with the boat's propeller. | The prosecution alleges Mr Dardis was pushed into the water and run over with the boat's propeller. |
'Deserved it' | |
Earlier, the court heard Mr Gerlach, who owned the boat, originally told police Mr Dardis had fallen into the sea and been run over by accident. | |
But during cross-examination by the prosecution, he told the court that was not true. | But during cross-examination by the prosecution, he told the court that was not true. |
He said Mr Dardis had attacked him, punching him several times, and that he and Mr Borzoni, of Hamilton Road, Bournemouth, then pushed him off the boat. | |
In the secret recording played to the court, Mr Gerlach told his wife: "I killed him, I killed him...I ran him over with the boat." | |
He added: "Yeah, I murdered him... and I'm not remorseful." | |
He also said: "He deserved it, he could have killed all of us." | |
'Lies to wife' | |
Mr Gerlach told the court he had been telling lies to his wife in the recording. | |
When asked why, he said: "I wanted to make myself look like this person couldn't do whatever he wanted to me." | |
The prosecution claims another covert police recording shows the two defendants conspiring to invent a story that the death was accidental, soon after they had been questioned by the police. | |
In the recording Mr Gerlach said: "If we get away with it, we haven't half got away with it." | In the recording Mr Gerlach said: "If we get away with it, we haven't half got away with it." |
The court heard a litre of vodka and high strength beers had been taken onto the boat. | |
Mr Borzoni has decided not give any evidence, the court was told. | |
The trial continues. | The trial continues. |
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