Accused filmed knife fight

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

CLARKE MURDER TRIAL: MICHAEL Clarke filmed lessons in knife fighting in the months before his parents were stabbed to death in their home.

The jury heard how Clarke, who is skilled in the art of Jujitsu, was planning to set up a combined martial arts system along with two other experts.

Giving evidence on Monday, Michael Hill, a kickboxing expert and member of Trowbridge Martial Arts Centre on the White Horse Business Park, told how he, Clarke and fellow expert Phil Dandridge had met three times to discuss setting up the new system.

In one of the meetings Clarke filmed knife disarmament demonstrations by Mr Dandridge, an expert in Escrima, a Filipino martial art of stick and knife fighting.

Mr Hill said: "We talked about a mixed martial arts system, cross training covering everything from stand-up to grappling to ground work.

"Phil Dandridge demonstrated how to take knives off someone." He said Clarke was there basically as the dummy to be demonstrated on.

When asked by prosecutor Nigel Pascoe QC about entries in Clarke's notebook depicting exactly how to kill someone with a knife Mr Hill said he had no idea such entries had been made.

He said he did not read many martial arts manuals but had never seen such diagrams and in any teaching books.

He said he believed Clarke was a responsible user of martial arts and said his relationship with his father Milroy was very close.

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