Murder accused challenged over a second bullet

MURDER TRIAL HEARS WALL HAD TAKEN HIT

A MAN who “accidentally” shot his girlfriend in the head has been challenged over the second bullet that was fired from the same gun.

Police went to Richard Basson’s home in Kings Road, Long Clawson, pictured, on the evening of Thursday, September 21 last year, after he had told the 999 operator he had stabbed Carrie Slater in the face with a pool cue.

However, in court he changed his story, claiming he had been sitting on the bed, removing the bullets from an illegally-owned semi-automatic pistol and it had gone off, shooting Miss Slater in the forehead.

She was severely injured and life support was withdrawn two days later.

Basson, 45, who is on trial for murder, was cross-examined at Leicester Crown Court last week by prosecutor John Lloyd-Jones about another bullet fired in the house.

Police investigators discovered that as well as the bullet that fatally wounded Miss Slater, a second bullet was embedded in the wall, near to where he admits the gun went off.

During their search of the bungalow, police also found two illegal handguns inside the house and a third – the one that had shot Miss

Slater – hidden in the garden along with two bullet shell casings, which are ejected from the top of a gun when it is fired.

Mr Lloyd-Jones asked Basson to explain the bullet in the wall and he replied: “I don’t know.” Mr LloydJones

asked: “You fired at Carrie twice, didn’t you?”

Basson denied it. Mr Lloyd-Jones asked when the bullet in the wall of his home had been fired. Basson said: “I haven’t got answers – you can ask me a million different ways. I don’t know.” Mr Lloyd-Jones then asked him why he had hidden two casings in the garden after the incident.

He said: “The one was with the other – at the time I didn’t realise it was two, at the time I picked them up. I don’t know when the other was fired.”

Evidence from Miss Slater’s body suggests the bullet went into the front of her head from a raised angle, suggesting she was bowing her head slightly or else he was holding the gun above her head when he fired.

He claims he was sitting on the bed and she was standing up at the time.

Mr Lloyd-Jones asked: “Was Carrie kneeling when you shot her in the head, Mr Basson?” He replied: “Definitely not.”

The prosecutor asked: “Are you sure you were on the bed, Mr Basson?” He said: “Pretty sure.”

When asked if he had maybe been standing up, Basson replied: “No, not to my knowledge, I’m pretty sure I wasn’t.”

Mr Lloyd-Jones asked if Miss Slater, 37, who lived with Basson in the house, had angled her head because she was ducking as he fired the first bullet into the wall and then the second into her head.

He asked: “Carrie ducked, didn’t she? Didn’t she duck because the first bullet whistled past her?”

Basson said that wasn’t what happened. Mr Lloyd-Jones asked: “Why was a loaded handgun pointed at Carrie in the first place?” Basson said: “It wasn’t pointed with intent – I was taking the rounds out.”

He was asked if there had been an argument – something he said on the 999 call had happened when he gave his story about striking Miss Slater with a pool cue. He said there had been no argument.

Basson said: “Yes, I did kill her, but not in the manner you’re suggesting.”

Basson has admitted illegally possessing guns and ammunition but denies murder.

The trial continues.