India Chipchase murder accused 'was overeager in bed'

An ex-bookkeeper accused of raping and murdering a student has told a jury his "over-eagerness" to sexually satisfy her caused her death.

India Chipchase, 20, was found dead at Edward Tenniswood's home in Stanley Road, Northampton, on 31 January.

Mr Tenniswood, 52, denies the charges.

He told Birmingham Crown Court that he inadvertently throttled Miss Chipchase through "inexperience and incompetence".

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Mr Tenniswood told the court: "I, in my over-eagerness to please her, either sustained the pressure just too long or just gripped too tightly."

He added: "Without the guidance of her hands - and I was eager to please - obviously I sustained the pressure too long and that obviously caused the death, in retrospect."

He claimed he failed to notice the part-time barmaid's body was lifeless despite refastening her bra and reclothing her, while wearing surgical-style latex gloves, before leaving his victim alone.

Mr Tenniswood is said to have approached Miss Chipchase outside Northampton's NB's nightclub before taking her in a taxi back to his house.

The court has already heard that instead of raising the alarm, he went out to buy a kebab and spent 22 hours drinking lager in an Ibis hotel until police arrested him.

During cross examination, prosecutor Christopher Donnellan QC put it to Mr Tenniswood: "You were kneeling either side of her. You managed to get her trousers down and then you raped her?"

Mr Tenniswood replied: "No, no, 100% no."

The prosecutor then asked how the defendant failed to notice Miss Chipchase was probably dead when he redressed her.

He replied: "She was just floppy as I expected her to be in a semi-comatose state."

He added: "Now you mention it, the paleness of the skin. I guess that would be the reason I was thinking something clearly wasn't right."

The trial continues.