Steph was in accused's car
AN alleged kidnapper and killer has admitted Stephanie Hammill was in his car the night she died, a court heard. Ioannis Revenikiotis, 29, is standing trial almost four years since the 20-year-old travel agent either fell or jumped from his moving black Mercedes into the path of an oncoming taxi.
Police quizzed the engineer back in his native country of Greece in June 2005 when he denied knowing Miss Hammill.
He also declined to answer when officers confronted him with forensic evidence found inside his car showing Miss Hammill's fingerprints, and fibres similar to those on her clothing.
But yesterday at Sheffield Crown Court, prosecutor Alistair MacDonald QC said: "The defendant does not dispute Stephanie Hammill was in his vehicle that night."
Miss Hammill was on a night out in Wakefield city centre with her boyfriend James Garland on November 29, 2003.
As they walked home, to the house they shared on Lincoln Street, Miss Hammill got into Revenikiotis's car believing it was a taxi.
It sped off and Mr Garland, who was only about three metres behind his girlfriend, was left on Balne Lane. Her leg was dangling out of the car for 50 metres before the door slammed shut.
The jury heard Miss Hammill was driven away from Wakefield "into a place of darkness" and she feared she would be sexually assaulted.
Minutes later Miss Hammill was found dead in the middle of Batley Road, Alverthorpe, after being run over by a bona fide taxi.
Mr MacDonald said: "But there was, and is, a more sinister aspect of the defendant's personality which we say demonstrates a propensity or tendency to act in an indecent and intimidatory fashion towards women."
The jury also heard from two women who claim Revenikiotis molested them.
One woman from Wakefield told how he had grabbed her breast and she slapped him across the face.
The jury will be visiting Balne Lane and Batley Road late Monday morning. The junction of Bell Street and Balne Lane, and also Batley Road, will be closed to traffic during this time.
Revenikiotis is formerly of School Crescent, Dewsbury, and more recently of Greece.
He had worked as a project engineer for TQ environmental in Flanshaw whose boss alerted the authorities after his employee's abrupt departure to Greece almost a month after Miss Hammill's death.
Revenikiotis denies the abduction and manslaughter of Miss Hammill. The trial continues.
l Log onto our website – www.wakefieldexpress.co.uk – for regular updates from the trial.
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