I can’t believe I killed Jo Yeates, weeps Vincent Tabak

Tabak, 33, told jurors he thought twice about killing himself, including jumping off a bridge.

He told Bristol Crown Court, where he has admitted her manslaughter but denied her murder: “The first time was when I was in Cambridge and I think that was that day or the day after Joanna’s body was found and it put me in a state of total despair and I didn’t know what to do...”

After pausing and composing himself, he added: “But I just clung on and decided not to do anything.”

Tabak tearfully apologised to her family today as he said he will be haunted for the rest of his life by her death.

He confirmed to the court he had been “calculating, dishonest and manipulative” in trying to cover his tracks.

Giving evidence for the first time, he told the court of his regrets at strangling her when she rejected his advances.

With Miss Yeates’s parents, David and Teresa, and boyfriend Greg Reardon looking on, Tabak said: “I had ample opportunity to call and I did not do it.

“I can only say that I am really sorry that I am responsible for her death and that I am responsible for putting her parents and Greg through a week of hell... knowing where she was.

“I still cannot believe that I was capable (of that).

“It will haunt me for the rest of my life, no matter what sentence I get.”

When asked by prosecution barrister Nigel Lickley QC if he had been calculating, Tabak replied: “What I did after I killed Joanna Yeates... yes.”

Tabak told jurors that he thought about jumping off a bridge.

“After we were back in Bristol, now staying with a friend of Tanja’s, I remember reading in one of the newspapers that they (the police) had found DNA, a sample of the DNA found on Joanna’s body, and I thought ‘that’s it’,” he told jurors.

Tabak confirmed that when he was first remanded into custody after being charged with Miss Yeates’s murder he was placed on prison suicide watch.

Recalling his feelings before his arrest, he said: “I remember drinking serious amounts of alcohol... and (thinking of) jumping off the bridge.”

Tabak said he “still can’t believe” he killed Miss Yeates, claiming he panicked after she rebuffed his attempts to kiss her.

He also confirmed he had her body in his car when he went shopping later in the evening at Asda.

“I can’t believe I did that,” he told the jury. “I was not thinking straight.”

The bespectacled defendant broke down in tears in front of Miss Yeates’s parents as he explained how he tried to cover his tracks by dumping her body.

He said: “I’m so sorry for doing that. I put Joanna’s parents through a week of hell. I still can’t believe I did that.”

He said he did not mean to take her life, telling the jury: “I got the impression she wanted to kiss me. She had been friendly.”

When asked why he put his hand to Miss Yeates’s throat, Tabak said: “I was panicking. I wanted to stop her screaming. I wanted to calm her down.”

Defence barrister William Clegg QC asked him about his activities in the build-up to Miss Yeates’s death on December 17.

Tabak replied: “I started to watch some television, made myself some dinner and had the beer.”

Mr Clegg asked: “What did you have for supper?”

Tabak replied: “I had a pizza.”

The defendant said he then “decided to go to Asda to buy myself some small treats”.

He said he thought he left his flat “within minutes” after sending Miss Morson a text message at 9.25pm saying: “Missing you loads. It’s boring here without you. Vxx.”

“I think I sent it before I decided to go to Asda,” Tabak told the jury.

“I took my usual route past Flat 1” - Miss Yeates’s flat.

Tabak said he was “not 100%” clear of the sequence of events after he initially noticed Miss Yeates through her kitchen window as he set off to Asda.

“I think she was wearing the pink T-shirt,” Tabak, speaking in a Dutch accent, told the jury.

Mr Clegg asked: “What happened?”

Tabak replied: “I waved to her and she waved back.”

He added: “She was friendly, coming to open the front door. She invited me in.”

Tabak said he took his coat off before hanging it on the coat rack in his neighbour’s hall in her ground floor flat in Clifton, Bristol.

Tabak said: “We went into their kitchen.”

Mr Clegg said “I want you to take this very slowly” as he asked Tabak about his conversation with Miss Yeates.

“I recall we talked about (how) my girlfriend was away at a Christmas party and I felt a bit lonely, bored,” Tabak said.

She made a reference to her partner, Mr Reardon, being away, Tabak added.

“We talked about the cat, which had come into our flat once,” he said.

He said they also talked about his recent work trip to Los Angeles.

They chatted for roughly 10 minutes before “I decided to make a pass at her”.

“She started to scream quite loudly. I panicked and I put one of my hands over her mouth. I said something like ‘I’m sorry, it’s OK. Please stop’.”

Tabak said he did not mean to kill Miss Yeates.

He said: “I still can’t understand what happened.”

After strangling her for less than a minute “she went limp, she fell to the floor”, Tabak said.

He told the court that he briefly took Miss Yeates’s body back to his flat to put her in a bicycle cover, adding: “I carried her with my arms. One hand was underneath her back, the other was under her knees.”

After taking the body to Asda, Tabak said he returned to his flat for 20 minutes.

He said he started driving to Bristol Airport when he stopped at Longwood Lane, Failand, where “I did something horrendous. I decided to leave her body there”.

Tabak became emotional when asked about his relationship with girlfriend Tanja Morson.

With his shoulders hunched, bespectacled Tabak spoke in a Dutch accent as he said he met Miss Morson through internet dating.

Mr Clegg asked him if he had had any previous relationships.

“No,” Tabak replied.