bloodrayne
12-01-2004, 02:38 AM
Jodi Jones Murder Trial: "You Need Satanic People Like Me To Help Balance"
Accused's essay worried his teacher
Murder accused, Luke Mitchell, wrote a disturbing school essay praising Satan, it was revealed yesterday.
It was supposed to be a short story about the end of the world for his English class.
But the teenager referred to shaking hands with the Devil and described Lucifer as a fallen angel.
He also wrote: 'People like you need Satanic people like me to keep the balance.'
His teacher was so worried about the essay - written six months before Jodi Jones was killed - that she suggested Mitchell should get help.
And in another essay he said: 'Whose business is it anyway if I cut myself just because I am more violent than others.'
In several jotters he scribbled his favourite quote from the late Nirvana rock star Kurt Cobain: 'The finest day I ever had was when tomorrow never came.'
The High Court in Edinburgh also heard that Mitchell, now 16, told a girl he could imagine himself getting stoned and killing someone and how funny it would be.
But Donald Findlay, QC, defending, suggested some of Mitchell's words contained sound ideas and were thought-provoking.
He believed they might have been merely the writings of a rebellious teenager.
Geraldine Mackie, 41, who teaches English at St David's High School in Dalkeith, said Mitchell was a third year pupil in her class.
She described him as being 'quite rebellious' and became concerned when he handed in an essay in January last year.
She continued: 'Some of the tone I found worrying. It was the first time I had ever referred on a piece of writing to the guidance staff.
'Quite a few things in it I found a little bit disturbing.'
Advocate depute Alan Turnbull, QC, prosecuting, then read part of the essay which said: 'If God forgives everyone then why the need to be sent to Hell?
'If you ask me, God's just a futile excuse at most for a bunch of fools to go around annoying others who want nothing to do with them.
'Are these people insane? Open your eyes.
'People like you need Satanic people like me to help the balance.
'Once you shake hands with the Devil you then have truly experienced life. Lucifer is a fallen angel.'
Mrs Mackie agreed he had has also written several other things on the cover of jotters including '666', 'SATAN' and 'Master Lead Us Into Hell.'
Mr Turnbull then produced another of Mitchell's jotters which had written on it: 'I offer my flesh, blood and soul to the dark god of Hell.' On yet another he wrote: 'I have tasted the Devil's green blood.'
Mrs Mackie said on a separate occasion she had asked the class to write an essay discussing whether geriatrics should be allowed to die.
This time, part of Mitchell's work said: 'So what if I am a Goth at a Catholic school.
'So what if I dress in baggy clothes and like different music. Whose business is it other than my own if I cut myself? Just because I am more violent than others does that justify some pompous git of a teacher referring me to a psychologist.
'Just because I have chosen to follow the teachings of Satan doesn't mean I need psychiatric help.
'Just because my favourite saying is 'the finest day I ever had was when tomorrow never came' doesn't qualify me as having a troubled life.'
Cross-examined by Mr Findlay, she agreed that some of Mitchell's essay on the end of the world was quite thought-provoking, especially for a 14-year-old boy.
Mr Findlay said: 'We seem to have a young man who, on a view of it, raises challenging views and original questions about the worth of a belief in God.'
She also accepted his description of what was written on Mitchell's jotters as an 'assortment of rubbish.'
Earlier, 17-year-old Michelle Tierney recalled a remark Mitchell made when she and a friend met in a park early last year. She said: 'He said he could imagine himself going out and getting stoned and killing someone and how funny it would be.
'I didn't think it was funny at all. He didn't go into any detail or anything.'
Mitchell, who was smoking a cigarette, then stubbed it out on the back of his hand.
Fellow pupil Richard Travers, 16, who was in Mitchell's form class, remembered once seeing him playing with a knife.
Mitchell made a hand movement across his neck and remarked that was the way to slit a person's throat.
Mitchell denies murdering 14-year-old Jodi on June 30 last year at an area near Roan's Dyke path in Dalkeith, Midlothian, by slashing her with a knife.
He has lodged defences of alibi and incrimination to the murder allegation.
Mitchell has also pleaded not guilty to carrying a knife or knives and supplying cannabis.
Jodi's mom, Judith, is expected to give evidence today.
Accused's essay worried his teacher
Murder accused, Luke Mitchell, wrote a disturbing school essay praising Satan, it was revealed yesterday.
It was supposed to be a short story about the end of the world for his English class.
But the teenager referred to shaking hands with the Devil and described Lucifer as a fallen angel.
He also wrote: 'People like you need Satanic people like me to keep the balance.'
His teacher was so worried about the essay - written six months before Jodi Jones was killed - that she suggested Mitchell should get help.
And in another essay he said: 'Whose business is it anyway if I cut myself just because I am more violent than others.'
In several jotters he scribbled his favourite quote from the late Nirvana rock star Kurt Cobain: 'The finest day I ever had was when tomorrow never came.'
The High Court in Edinburgh also heard that Mitchell, now 16, told a girl he could imagine himself getting stoned and killing someone and how funny it would be.
But Donald Findlay, QC, defending, suggested some of Mitchell's words contained sound ideas and were thought-provoking.
He believed they might have been merely the writings of a rebellious teenager.
Geraldine Mackie, 41, who teaches English at St David's High School in Dalkeith, said Mitchell was a third year pupil in her class.
She described him as being 'quite rebellious' and became concerned when he handed in an essay in January last year.
She continued: 'Some of the tone I found worrying. It was the first time I had ever referred on a piece of writing to the guidance staff.
'Quite a few things in it I found a little bit disturbing.'
Advocate depute Alan Turnbull, QC, prosecuting, then read part of the essay which said: 'If God forgives everyone then why the need to be sent to Hell?
'If you ask me, God's just a futile excuse at most for a bunch of fools to go around annoying others who want nothing to do with them.
'Are these people insane? Open your eyes.
'People like you need Satanic people like me to help the balance.
'Once you shake hands with the Devil you then have truly experienced life. Lucifer is a fallen angel.'
Mrs Mackie agreed he had has also written several other things on the cover of jotters including '666', 'SATAN' and 'Master Lead Us Into Hell.'
Mr Turnbull then produced another of Mitchell's jotters which had written on it: 'I offer my flesh, blood and soul to the dark god of Hell.' On yet another he wrote: 'I have tasted the Devil's green blood.'
Mrs Mackie said on a separate occasion she had asked the class to write an essay discussing whether geriatrics should be allowed to die.
This time, part of Mitchell's work said: 'So what if I am a Goth at a Catholic school.
'So what if I dress in baggy clothes and like different music. Whose business is it other than my own if I cut myself? Just because I am more violent than others does that justify some pompous git of a teacher referring me to a psychologist.
'Just because I have chosen to follow the teachings of Satan doesn't mean I need psychiatric help.
'Just because my favourite saying is 'the finest day I ever had was when tomorrow never came' doesn't qualify me as having a troubled life.'
Cross-examined by Mr Findlay, she agreed that some of Mitchell's essay on the end of the world was quite thought-provoking, especially for a 14-year-old boy.
Mr Findlay said: 'We seem to have a young man who, on a view of it, raises challenging views and original questions about the worth of a belief in God.'
She also accepted his description of what was written on Mitchell's jotters as an 'assortment of rubbish.'
Earlier, 17-year-old Michelle Tierney recalled a remark Mitchell made when she and a friend met in a park early last year. She said: 'He said he could imagine himself going out and getting stoned and killing someone and how funny it would be.
'I didn't think it was funny at all. He didn't go into any detail or anything.'
Mitchell, who was smoking a cigarette, then stubbed it out on the back of his hand.
Fellow pupil Richard Travers, 16, who was in Mitchell's form class, remembered once seeing him playing with a knife.
Mitchell made a hand movement across his neck and remarked that was the way to slit a person's throat.
Mitchell denies murdering 14-year-old Jodi on June 30 last year at an area near Roan's Dyke path in Dalkeith, Midlothian, by slashing her with a knife.
He has lodged defences of alibi and incrimination to the murder allegation.
Mitchell has also pleaded not guilty to carrying a knife or knives and supplying cannabis.
Jodi's mom, Judith, is expected to give evidence today.