A policeman planned to murder his uncle then blame

A policeman planned to murder his uncle then blamed his sleep
walking when he bungled the attempt, a court was told.

PC Robert Short, 34, tried to throttle Mr Paul Barrett, 50,
as he dozed in a kichen chair, a jury at the Old Bailey was told.

But the draughtsman managed to get his fingers under the
rope and stopped the alleged strangler, said prosecutor Mr
Nicholas Gardiner.

‘If it was not for the fact his uncle woke in time to get
his fingers under the rope there is very little doubt he would be
dead today,’ said counsel.

‘He was literally saved by his fingertips.

‘
When interviewed Short allegedly said: ‘I had a dream and
the next thing I remember was being downstairs in the kitchen
in the dark with my uncle who I had by the neck with a rope.

‘
But Mr Gardiner claimed Short’s explanation was ‘all a
sham.

‘
‘The dreams and the sleep walking were put for some sort of
defence should it all go wrong and he did not suceed in killing
his uncle.

‘That is exactly what happened.

‘
Mr Barrett told the court he had lived all his life at his
home in Cleanthus Road, Woolwich.

The bachelor lived with his mother until her death in
1983.

Then the house was shared between Mr Barrett and his sister
Jennifer, but in 1989 she sold her share to her son and he moved
in.

Counsel claimed that ‘relations were somewhat strained’
between uncle and nephew.

Mr Barrett said he had seen his nephew with a length of rope
a few days before the incident.

‘He had it in his hand as if to conceal it,’ he said.

On March 12 last year Mr Barrett arrived home at around
11.

30pm and made himself supper.

‘I couldn’t go to bed straight away so I sat in the chair
in the kitchen,’ he said.

And as he dozed off Short crept behind him with the rope,
the court heard.

‘I had no warning whatsoever.

I was suddenly aware there
was some sort of constriction around my neck,’ Mr Barrett re
called.

‘For a momement I was incredulous.

Then the seriousness
dawned on me.

‘I forced the four fingers of my right hand between the cord
and my neck.

‘It was very tight indeed.

All I could do was to pull side
ways on this cord and try and stop myself becoming
unconscious.

That was my only hope,’ he said.

Mr Barrett then remembered falling out of the chair and on
to the floor.

‘The tension on the rope showed no sign of diminishing.

I
was now facing upwards and I could see it was Robert.

‘
Mr Barrett said the policeman hauled him up by the rope and
then let him fall crashing to the floor.

‘This happened more than once.

I was now begining to lose
my strength.

‘
Suddenly the pressure was slackened, said Mr Barrett.

‘I have no idea why.

I only conclude that Robert Short had
run out of strength himself.

‘If I had not put my fingers inside that rope I would have
lost my life.

‘
Mr Barrett said he managed to stagger to his feet and
snatched the rope.

‘I couldn’t understand what had happened.

He didn’t say he
was sorry.

I made no comment about what had happened.

He was quite dispassionate.

‘
The policeman offered to call the emergency services but Mr
Barrett told him not to.

‘I felt very sorry for him.

I thought he had had a
brainstorm.

I thought he was mentally deranged.

‘
Mr Barrett said the cop cleaned up the blood from the floor,
took the rope from him and put it on the washing machine with the
draughtsman’s bloody clothes, then went to bed.

Meanwhile his uncle sat downstairs in a state of shock.

The next day he went to the doctors for treatment for the
bruises on his neck and the police were called.

When interviewed, Short, of Southwark police, allegedly
said: ‘I seem to remember a dream beforehand, a nightmare, when
my uncle’s screams woke me up.

‘I remember him saying “Rob, Rob, I’m dying.

“‘
Short then showed detectives a dream diary that he kept.

One entry spoke of a dream about a gravestone with the date
1933 on it, which Short thought was his uncle’s birthdate.

And three weeks before the incident Short visited his
uncle’s doctor and said he was worried about his committing
suicide.

Mr Gardiner said: ‘That visit was also a sham.

The purpose
was to cast suspicion away from himself.

‘
Short told detectives that he planned to leave his half of
the house to his uncle in the event of his death.

But Mr Gardiner said Short’s will did not fit in with his
concern about his uncle’s mental health or the fact the pair ‘did
not get on well.

‘
‘This was an intentional and planned attempt to kill,’ he
claimed.

Short denies attempted murder and an alternative charge of
causing actual bodily harm with intent.

The trial continues.

ENDS