A MAN facing a double murder charge said he would admit to one of them if the prosecution could show him concrete evidence linking him to the death of one of his alleged victims.

James Allen laid down the challenge in Newcastle Crown Court as he was being cross examined during his trial for the murder of Colin Dunford and Julie Davison.

In an outburst at Robert Smith, prosecutor, he said: “If you can show me one piece of concrete evidence I will admit to it right away. The whole country is waiting right now for you to show one substantial bit of evidence. If you can, I will tell you live in this court that I did it (murdered Mr Dunford).”

The 36-year-old is accused of murdering the 81-year-old in his Middlesbrough home in April this year.

When asked to look at a document produced in evidence that showed a scarf across the face of the pensioner when he was found dead in his Leven Street home, the defendant refused.

He said: “I find it distressing to look at the photographs because it’s Colin Dunford dead on the floor.”

In an earlier fractious exchange between Mr Smith and the defendant, Mr Allen threatened to throw an evidence binder at him if he asked him one more question about his mother.

“If you mention my mother one more time you will see the dark side of me, she passed away a long time ago,” he said.

Turning towards the judge, he added: “If he asks me it one more time I will throw this binder at him.”

When asked whether he had attempted to take any money out of the pensioner’s bank account, Mr Allen replied: “I have never ever been in possession of his bank cards, and one thing for certain, I have never known the pin number for any of his bank cards.”

Mr Allen is also accused of murdering 50-year-old Ms Davison in her flat in Church Square, Whitby three days after the death of Mr Dunford A number of items were allegedly stolen during the murder, including a Toshiba laptop, a black waterproof jacket and a pair of white trainers.

While being cross examined about why he sold a laptop in Leeds market instead of as Cash Generators in Scarborough, where he admitted selling several pieces of jewellery, Mr Allen said he knew it was stolen but didn’t know where from.

He told the court he only realised the seriousness of the background to the computer after he had sold it and a hunt was launched for the murderer of Ms Davison.

He said: “When you’re on the television and in the newspapers as Britain’s most wanted – there’s something gone wrong.”

When asked if he didn’t have any money to pay to stay in a hotel he visited while he was in Whitby, Mr Allen said: “At the end of the day I went there with the intention of seeing what I could graft (steal) from the place, you have to remember I’m from Blackpool and I have been robbing from hotels all my life.”

Mr Allen of Lothian Road, Middlesbrough, denies two charges of murder.

The court is not sitting tomorrow and is expected to resume on Friday.