Louise Smith trial: Boyfriend tells of final goodbye to teenager before she was killed by Shane Mays
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Winchester Crown Court heard Bradley Kercher, now 18 but 17 at the time, was interviewed by police as a witness on May 16 following her disappearance on May 8, and the footage was played to the jury today.
Louise was living with murder accused Shane Mays and his partner Chazlynn – known as CJ – Mays, who was her aunt, when she vanished.
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Hide AdMr Kercher said Louise’s phone was ‘never off because she was always on it’ and he was left pacing Mays and CJ’s tiny flat in Ringwood House, Somborne Drive, in Leigh Park, worried about his girlfriend’s whereabouts when she disappeared.
Mays, 30, told Mr Kercher and CJ he had taken Louise to Emsworth skatepark. Mr Kercher said that would have been ‘unusual behaviour’ for her.
The teenage witness said Mays told him he had walked Louise to Emsworth skatepark and she asked for £30.
Jurors have been told Mays has since admitted walking with her to Havant Thicket and killing her on May 8. Her body was found on May 21.
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Hide AdMr Kercher also told how he said goodbye to her on May 7 in Ringwood House when she appeared ‘perfectly fine’ to him.
He said: ‘I said goodbye to her, told her I love her and gave her a kiss and a cuddle. That was the last time I saw her.’
The teenage witness said Louise cried when on May 7 he heard Mays ask her: ‘Is it me you don’t like.’ Louise said: ‘No, no it’s not you,’ Mr Kercher said in the video.
He said Louise had previously cried over ‘the washing-up situation,' referring to Louise being asked to do this at her aunt’s flat but not knowing how to do it.
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Hide AdPreviously Louise had messaged Mr Kercher saying she wanted to change her surname to Mays.
The message was sent an hour before one about Shane Mays ‘tickling’ Louise’s feet.
‘Shane just attacked me and started tickling my feet,’ she said. ‘I was crying with laughter.’
Mr Kercher added: ‘She used to speak about (Mays) like he was flirting with her.’
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Hide AdShe would ‘put his arm around her, he’d tickle her, pin her down and things like that’.
Mr Kercher said he quizzed Shane and CJ on it, and added: ‘Shane basically said he feels Louise is flirting with him, they are both saying that either is flirting with each other but both are denying it.’
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But Louise had also told Mr Kercher she ‘had enough of the way Shane was speaking to her’. She described Mays and CJ as ‘vile’ in another message.
Mays denies murder but has admitted manslaughter.
The trial resumes on Thursday.
(Proceeding)