Dad broke usual routine

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

CLARKE MURDER TRIAL: A NEIGHBOUR told on Monday how Clarke had appeared upbeat on the morning of his parents' murder.

In written evidence Lisa Carter, of Berryfield Park, Melksham, said she had been had been parking her car outside her house when she saw Clarke carrying a dark holdall.

As part of her normal routine she had taken her two children to school and could not recall whether she had seen Clarke on her departure at 8.15am or her return at 9.15am.

She said: "I saw a male walking towards me who I immediately recognised as Roy and Joan's son. I've seen him walking before and he always had his head slightly down," she said.

"He was walking more upright with his head up. He looked straight at me. He's never done this before.

"He spoke but I couldn't hear what he was saying. He smiled and I smiled back. I was shocked as he has never spoken to me before."

She said although the holdall was bulging she did not believe it contained clothes and thought it looked more like a workman's bag than a sports bag.

Other neighbours recalled on the morning of the killings Milroy Clarke did not complete his usual routine of moving his yellow van and driving his wife's car into its place.

Donald Skeates, who lives in the house opposite the Clarkes, said: "I live on my own and as a result have a set routine. Roy is also a creature of habit.

"On Monday my routine was the same. I went to the Total garage just before 8am. I recall Roy hadn't moved the van."

Another neighbour Edna Wring said she also found it unusual that Mr Clarke had not completed his usual routine of moving the van.

Security conscious.

THE home of Milroy and Joan Clarke, at Berryfield Park, showed no signs of a break-in and the couple were extremely security conscious, the court heard.

Next-door neighbour Kenneth Nurdin said the family had a burglar alarm and would always lock their doors in the evenings although they would sometimes keep them closed but unlocked in the day if Mr Clarke was working in the garden.

Other neighbours agreed Mr Clarke was very security conscious because of his former roles as a police officer and security guard.

Mrs Clarke's best friend, Alison Williams, told the court she had never once been to the house to find the door unlocked.

Archive Home