OAP murder charge car thief says he didn't mean to kill pensioner deliberately - Scottish Daily Record

A CAR thief accused of driving over a pensioner yesterday denied he had killed him deliberately.

Christopher Grenfell, 25, claimed the first he knew of James Simpson's death was when he read about in a newspaper the next day.

Grenfell is charged with murdering James outside his home while the 76-year-old tried to stop him stealing his Land Rover Discovery.

Prosecutor Andrew Stewart QC put it to Grenfell that he was responsible for killing someone.

Grenfell replied: "By accident."

Mr Stewart: "It was not an accident."

Grenfell: "It was."

Mr Stewart: "I suggest it was not an accident. It was murder."

Grenfell: "I would not murder anyone."

He admitted taking James's car keys from his house in Ashgill, Lanarkshire, last November after smashing a window.

Grenfell, who had offered to plead guilty to culpable homicide, said he'd stolen the Land Rover on the orders of Neil Loggie.

This has been denied by Loggie at the trial at the High Court in Glasgow.

Grenfell said he was to receive £1500, which he was going to split with William MacVicar, 24, who is charged with being involved in the theft.

Ian Duguid QC, defending, asked: "You said it was Loggie's enterprise. Did you know what he was going to do with the car?"

Grenfell: "Sell it on. It was already sold before it was stolen."

Grenfell recalled being in the driver's seat as James tried to pull him out. He said the OAP fell as he was "side-stepping and just lost his footing".

Brave pensioner James Simpson, who Grenfell said he killed 'by accident'

 

He told the court he looked out the open door and did not see James.

He eventually heard screaming before driving away because he had panicked.

Grenfell's QC Ian Duguid said: "One account we have heard is that the car was driven three to four car lengths up the road, stopped then reversed back down and it had gone back over Mr Simpson?"

Grenfell: "That is not correct. That did not happen." He said his main priority had been to get away.

Charges that Grenfell and MacVicar attempted to defeat the ends of justice have been dropped. The trial continues.