Ammon News - MURDER trial defendant Odai Salah claimed yesterday he was 'not capable' of killing two of his 'closest friends', Rosemary Windle and Maurece Smith.

Salah, 29, described the murdered couple as 'very warm and very generous people' whom he had no reason to harm.

The Jordanian-born British national is on trial at Exeter Crown Court for the double killing of Mr Smith and Mrs Windle, both 71, at their flat in Warren Road on January 8.

On his second day of giving evidence, Salah said he would never 'under any circumstances kill any other human being'.

But the UK-registered law student and former wine merchant admitted to being 'disgusted' with himself over a series of lies he concocted to cover his debts, and to gain employment.

Later he was cross-examined by prosecutor Paul Dunkels QC about his alleged alibi for January 8.

Salah said he visited the couple's flat on January 8 to arrange a cheque payment but left after a few minutes when he received no answer.

He claims he drove to Plymouth to meet a multimillionaire businessman called Eyad Moseya who had promised to buy him a £700,000 home in Surrey in exchange for work.

The meeting was cancelled and when he was arrested Salah refused to answer questions about it.

Mr Dunkels said: "If you had really been in Plymouth keeping an appointment with a man for a meeting rather than in flats 1 and 2 at Cumberland House killing Rosemary and Maurece, why wouldn't you tell police?"

Salah said he listened to his solicitor's advice to stay silent.

The court was also told that CCTV cameras along the route Salah claims to have driven to and from Warren Road on January 8 had not recorded his vehicle.

"I am not in a position to explain. I will leave that to the experts," Salah said.

The defendant has already admitted borrowing £36,000 from a friend after convincing him he was being treated for cancer.

But he said claims he killed the Torquay couple to steal money from them to pay off his debts were false.

"I had £200,000 debts. The prosecution says I killed them for £30,000. It's a in the ocean," he said. "It doesn't make sense."

In one exchange with prosecutor Paul Dunkels QC Salah said: "These are theories, give me facts.

"I will never, ever under any circumstances kill another person, especially Maurece and Rosemary. They were very warm people, very close, very generous to me."

He repeated his claim that Mrs Windle was working with him 'hand-in-hand' to broker a deal with Arab sheiks to resolve a land dispute in the United Arab Emirates.

He said she was due to be paid £85,000.

Salah, of Windsor Road, Torquay, denies two counts of murder.

He met the couple after agreeing to sell them Lebanese wine last April.

The defendant claims to have worked as a commercial contracts lawyer for a Jordanian company called Al-Riyadh, before and after moving to Torquay.

He also admitted applying for jobs at Tesco and McDonald's.

Mr Dunkels asked: "This Al-Riyadh story is complete nonsense, isn't it?"

Salah denied it was.

Salah denies both murders.

The trial continues.

* herald express