I killed husband, wife because I was in debt – suspect

A suspected murderer has opened up on why he killed a husband and a wife, leaving their four young children bereaved. Derek Martins, a Briton, told the police during interrogation he committed the crime due to mounting ‘debts’.

The prosecutor quoted Martins as saying during his trial that ‘he felt he was getting ‘used’ all of the time.

The prosecutor continues: ‘He could not do enough for people, and he had got into a lot of debt himself as well

‘Then he said that he ‘just lost it’ and he ‘just flipped’.

Martin then decided to attack the mother of four, Chloe, hitting her with a hammer on the head.

‘Then he went to the kitchen to retrieve a large knife, and having done so, he then repeatedly stabbed Chloe with that knife, causing severe injuries from which she died.

‘He then attacked Josh with a knife and compressed his neck with a ligature, causing injuries from which he too died.’

The prosecutor added Martin removed the handles from the bedroom doors where the bodies were lying, changed his clothes, and took the doorbell camera off the front door.

According to Metro, Martin, 67, is like a grandfather figure to the murdered couple and had been staying in their house.

After the incident, Martin went took their four children to a coffee shop and later dropped them at their grandmother’s house, before turning himself in at police station. He told the police: ‘I have just killed two people.’ Martin admitted to the killing but claimed diminished responsibility. Five psychiatrists are trying to assess if Martin can use the diminished responsibility defence in court. All have said Martin was suffering from a ‘depressive disorder’ during the attacks, but the severity of it is facing scrutiny.

The trial continues.