Friends thought killing 'confession' was a joke, jury told

Mary Gregory's death was initially thought to be an accident

Two friends thought a student was joking when he told them how he killed his step-grandmother during a game of truth or dare, a jury has heard.

Tiernan Darnton, 21, allegedly "confessed" to the pair weeks after the funeral of Mary Gregory, who died in a fire in Heysham, Lancashire, in 2018.

He spoke of setting the 94-year-old's bungalow alight and disabling a fire alarm before he left, jurors were told.

Mr Darnton is on trial at Preston Crown Court where he denies her murder.

Alix Cozens told the court how she asked Mr Darnton about his "darkest secret" as part of the game.

She said: "He told us that he had killed somebody. I just questioned what he meant by it.

"He said he went to his grandma's and dropped a cigarette in the front room near some curtains or clothes, he had gone out and disabled the fire alarm and then had gone home.

"He said he did it because he didn't want her to suffer any more."

Ms Cozens said Mr Darnton told them that following the fire he returned home, got changed and went back to bed.

Assumed accident

Her friend Liz Collinge told how, before revealing his secret, Mr Darnton said he did not want them to "think any different about him".

The witness added that they had thought it was "a joke".

The court has heard that the death of Mrs Gregory, who had dementia, was assumed to be an accident until remarks made by Mr Darnton in a counselling session in May 2019.

In the presence of his stepfather, Chris Gregory - the son of Mrs Gregory - the defendant said he set fire to curtains at the bungalow in Levens Drive.

Counsellor Ruth Quinn told the jury that in a consultation on 9 May Mr Darnton told her about a friend who "knows what I have done" and "could put me in prison".

She said she asked him at the end of the session whether he was trying to tell her he had killed someone and he responded by nodding.

At a follow-up session on 17 May, she said, the defendant eventually agreed the counsellor would go to the police over the matter.

'Pain and trauma'

She said she told him that Mr Gregory, who had arrived to collect Mr Darnton, needed to be informed but was "shocked" when the defendant said in front of them he had killed Mrs Gregory.

Ms Quinn said she told Mr Gregory she had to go the police.

She said: "He said he would do everything in his power to stop me doing that because it would ruin Tiernan's life.

"There was anger and aggression in him. He was very strong in that assertion and he went on to say there had been a coroner's court around his mother's death and that everything was done and dusted, and she had died from asphyxiation.

"He said it was all resolved and his family could not go through more pain and trauma."

John Harrison QC, defending, said: "As far as Tiernan Darnton recollects, Chris Gregory did not come into your office at all. That simply didn't happen, is that right?"

Ms Quinn replied: "No, that's not right."

The court also heard how Mr Darnton was arrested at his home in Combermere Road, Heysham, and his mobile phone and computer were seized.

Examination of the devices revealed a number of Google searches including "I want to cause evil", "I'm a murderer", "I'm a monster and I'm going to hell" and "urge to kill again".

The trial continues.