A MARKS & Spencer's manager accused of lying to the police about how fatal head injuries were caused to a shoplifter said he was ‘in shock’ and not trying to ‘cover up a crime’, a court has heard.

Elliott Cripps, 27, of Ashbourne Crescent, Taunton, has been charged with perverting the course of justice along with Sabeur Trabelsi, 44, of King’s Road, Reading. 

It is alleged they lied about how Jason Page, 52, came to his death by saying he fell and hit his head outside the BP petrol station on Chalfont Way in Earley on March 31, 2021.

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However, it is the prosecution's case that after stealing meat from the Marks and Spencer’s store round the corner, Mr Page was 'punched' by security guard Trabelsi before falling and suffering from fatal head injuries.

The jury heard that after the incident, M&S duty manager Cripps, who had followed Trabelsi in pursuing the shoplifter, had called the emergency services after noticing that Mr Page wasn’t getting up.

He was recorded on the phone as telling the operator that Mr Page had ‘fallen where he’s gone to run away’.

However, he later told his colleague and police that he had seen Trabelsi ‘slap’ Mr Page prior to him falling.

When asked by his defence barrister why he hadn’t told the operator, Cripps said he was ‘in shock’ and in ‘auto pilot’ while on the phone.

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"The whole phone call I'm just in shock - in auto pilot,” he said. “I'm just trying to help as much as I can and explain his condition.

"I'm not really thinking as it's happening. I started trying to tell the whole incident and it just sort of fell out of my mouth like mumbled and then I snapped back to 'Forget about that', I'm calling them to try and tell them about his condition.

“I didn't really appreciate it was a phone call to the police as I was trying to get him medical attention."

Cripps told the jury that he found the whole situation to be ‘chaotic and scary’ and said the incident happened quickly.

When asked how he felt about being charged with perverting the course of justice, Cripps responded: "I just, honestly, it was such a difficult situation and I just felt like, even when I was getting arrested, that I tried to do everything right.

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"I put him in recovery position, I called the ambulance right away. As far as I'm concerned, I did my best."

The trial continues.