Clarkes were ‘happy family’ – girlfriend

From the Wiltshire Times, first published Friday 27th Jan 2006.

CLARKE MURDER TRIAL: THE Clarke family were discussing holiday plans for the following year the night before Michael Clarke is accused of brutally murdering his parents.

Clarke's 17-year-old former girlfriend, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the jury at Bristol Crown Court she was planning to go on holiday to Florida with him and his parents.

She said: "Everyone was happy in each others company that weekend. It was a barrel of laughs, same as every weekend."

The teenager, who gave evidence at the trial on Thursday and Friday, said she had never seen any sign of friction in the family during the eight months she had been seeing Clarke and spoke of a close and loving relationship between him and his parents.

She said: "Roy was a military man, very well spoken and had his own opinions on things. He was very, very funny, always cracking jokes.

"He treated me as if I was his own daughter. He treated me as he treated Michael. He was very kind to me.

"Joan was a very warm, loving woman.

"They were hilarious together, always cracking jokes. They were very loving towards each other.

"They were very caring towards Michael. He went through a lot of operations when he was younger and they were very protective of him. They cared about him an awful lot."

Clarke met the girl, who still describes their relationship as close, in November 2003 and they became a couple in April the following year, the first serious relationship for both.

The court heard Clarke's parents were very happy with their son's relationship and the young couple saw each other most evenings during the week.

At the weekends she would go to his house in the morning, stay overnight and Mr Clarke would drop her home on Sunday evening.

The teenager told the court she was aware of her boyfriend's interest in knives and it did not bother her, especially as he never displayed them, keeping them shut in a pine box or in the attic.

She said she was the feisty one in the relationship and Clarke had once cried because he had upset her.

The court heard how after the bodies of Milroy and Joan Clarke were found at their Berryfield Park home, Clarke went to stay with his girlfriend and her family.

She said after the killings Clarke told her he had arrived home to find the front door unlocked. The television was on and the curtains open.

Giving evidence on Friday the girl's mother told the court the young man was pale and clingy in the days after the deaths and appeared to want people around him all the time.

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