A Solihull dad accused of murdering his teenage daughter in Wales has refused to give evidence at his trial.

Father-of-three Gary Fisher has denied murdering Chanelle Sasha Jones in the car park of the Angel Inn, Cardigan, last year.

But the 48-year-old has declined to give evidence in the witness box at Swansea Crown Court.

And his barrister Elwen Evans QC said no defence witnesses would appear.

Ms Evans urged the jury to acquit Fisher of murder and instead find him guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter.

She said that Fisher had stabbed his 17-year-old daughter to death as part of a suicide pact.

But Chris Clee QC, prosecuting, said: “As I understand his case he’ll say he killed Sasha in pursuance of a suicide pact but now you hear he won’t be saying anything. He won’t be answering any of the questions you would want answered, making his assertion this was a suicide pact even more untenable.

“He lacks the courage to go into the witness box because he knows his story, and that is all it is, will unravel even further.”

Mr Clee said there was evidence Sasha had taken two tablet overdoses, but these were not considered to be genuine attempts to kill herself.

He added she had applied to go on a course at Pembrokeshire College and had talked about meeting friends after her father left Cardigan to go back to the Midlands.

The prosecutor also pointed out there was evidence Sasha had struggled for her life and he said Fisher drove around for more than ten hours with his daughter’s body next to him.

But Ms Evans told the jury: ”You’ll no doubt have nothing but dislike and distaste for this defendant and you may be wondering what on earth his barrister is going to be saying on his behalf.

“It must be a given that anyone who kills his 17-year-old daughter by stabbing her in these circumstances will attract opprobrium, distaste, dislike. But it is perhaps one of the strengths of the criminal justice system you as a jury are asked to look beyond feelings of emotional disgust.”

(Proceeding)