Louise Smith murder trial: Shane Mays told police he had 'no clue' where teenager was when he was arrested

The body of Louise Smith, 16 from Leigh Park, was found in Havant Thicket on May 21, 13 days after she had gone missing.

Shane Mays, 30 from Somborne Drive, has been charged with her murder. He has denied this but admitted manslaughter.

When arrested by police on May 14 on suspicion of kidnap, Mays was interviewed by Det Con Luke Donovan.

Today, a transcript of this interview was read out for the jury at Winchester Crown Court, as part of Mays’ trial.

Both he and partner Chazlynn, Louise’s aunt, were arrested by Hampshire Constabulary, on the grounds that they were the last people to see the teenager, and their accounts of what happened were inconsistent.

During the interview, Shane Mays insisted that he knew nothing of Louise’s whereabouts, before saying her mum had threatened to kidnap her and blaming her boyfriend for the teenager’s disappearance.

He said: ‘I have no clue where she [Louise] is. I personally think she is with a friend.

‘I don’t know where she is, otherwise I would have told you.

‘Her boyfriend is trying to avoid everyone.’

As the interview continued on May 15, Mays told Det Con Donovan that Louise had been sent a text by her mother the day before she disappeared, saying she was going to kidnap her.

He told the officer: ‘Louise causes a lot of trouble. It was something to do with a white van, it was going to kidnap Louise and others.’

Det Con Donovan asked: ‘Did you see a phone message to that effect?’

SEE ALSO: Live updates as Louise Smith murder trial continues

Mays replied: ‘No. Louise told me when we were sat in the bedroom. I said to her she can’t be lying about stuff like that because it gets people in trouble.

‘I’ve been stitched up. I blame her boyfriend.'

When the trial commenced last week, the jury was told of how Louise’s body was found ‘defiled’ and burned from the head to her upper thighs.

The prosecution argued that after killing Louise on May 8, Mays returned the following day to burn her body.

It is expected that the trial will run for another four weeks before reaching its conclusion.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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