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Murder Trial: Defendant accused of delaying 999 call

Fri, 03 Apr 2015

A Castletown man who's standing trial for murder has been accused of delaying making a 999 call to help the gardener he's accused of murdering.

46-year-old Ian Anderson made the six minute call at 1.04am on December 1st 2013 - on arrival at his home on 40 Queen Street emergency services found the body of Neil Roberts.

Made on the property's landline it followed a series of calls to Anderson's mobile from his family in England - the last, from his brother, being at 12.56am for just over eight minutes.

Under cross examination Anderson told the jury he did remember making the 999 call but couldn't remember what he had said because he was "confused".

Jurors have previously been played the audio recording - in it Anderson is heard swearing and telling the operator it's not "an emergency" and that Mr Roberts didn't need CPR.

"He didn't need CPR because he was already dead wasn't he Mr Anderson," the prosecutor asked - "I don't know," he responded.

Quizzed about his language Anderson was accused of still being "violent and aggressive" at that stage - "I was confused and dazed. I can't remember what I said on that call," he responded.

Anderson claims the 60-year-old attacked him three times and that he was left "fighting for his life".

When asked if he maintained that he did no more than defend himself in retaliation, Anderson replied "I don't know. I don't know. I don't know."

Ian Anderson denies murder. The trial continues. 

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