A CONVICTED armed robber accused of two murders has told a jury that he had nothing to do with either killing.

And Stephen McColl, who is from Clydebank, maintained that one of the alleged victims, Michael Doran, 22 - whose body has never been found - had not been killed.

McColl, 38, told Liverpool Crown Court this week: `There is no body. Mick Doran wasn't killed. I never killed him.` Asked about the other victim, Philip Noakes, whose mutilated body was found in a shallow grave near Manchester, McColl denied killing him also.

The court has heard that Mr Noakes, 30 - who was killed by a shotgun blast to his chest - had been stripped naked and stabbed before being buried in Worsley Woods near his home in Salford.

More than two years earlier Mr Doran, 22, had gone to Glasgow with McColl on Friday, March 23, 2001, and never returned.

The court has heard that both victims were criminal associates of McColl and his co-accused Daniel Henson, and it is claimed that they had become indispensible to McColl who then `eliminated them`.

Faifley man McColl has told the jury that he went to Scotland with Mr Doran that weekend, as they had done before, but maintained they came back together and he dropped him off back in Salford.

In cross-examination Peter Wright, QC, prosecuting, pointed out, whoever had killled Mr Noakes had had an interest in anatomy.

McColl, a former undertakers assistant, admitted he knew some things about anatomy, but denied he had anything to do with the incident.

Mr Wright said that the killer had probed with a knife to a depth of three inches to the top inside part of Mr Noakes"s thigh, when he had just died, or was about to die, and was unable to move.

McColl said: `I wouldn't know because it wasn't me.` Further questioned McColl admitted he had an interest in the femoral artery and knew if it was cut you would die within 10 to 20 seconds.

He said: `I know exactly where the femoral artery is. If I wanted to cut someone's femoral artery I would cut it, I would not probe it.` Mr Wright suggested: `You didn't want him to die, you wanted him to suffer. This was personal.' McColl replied: 'It wasn't, I wouldn't do that to someone.` Mr Wright said: `What you did was to blow him away.` McColl replied: `I never blew him away. I never stabbed anyone or put someone in a shallow grave.` The jury has heard that the day after Mr Noakes was allegedly lured to his death by McColl and his co-accused Daniel Henson, 23, the pair both fled to Scotland.

While there McColl attended a probation group session in Clydebank and McColl made `bizarre` comments about the femoral artery and the effects of gunshot wounds on a body.

Asked about this by Mr Wright, McColl said he had spoken about firearms making a mess - not a shotgun.

McColl has pleaded not guilty to both murder allegations.

Henson, of Stanhope Road, Salford, is only accused of the murder of Mr Noakes, which he denies. The trial continues.

MORE than 55 witnesses have now given their evidence at the trial of Faifley man Stephen McColl.

The 38-year-old is charged with the brutal murders of Philip Noakes, 30 and 22-year-old Glasgow man Michael Doran.

The trial is in its seventh week and all the prosecution witnesses have now been on the stand. It is now the turn of the defence to have its say.

McColl, and co-accused Daniel Henson, both gave evidence this week.

After the defence case is completed the proceedings are set to take a two week break.

Closing statements will heard when the case resumes and the jury will then be asked to come back with its verdict.

It is anticipated that the case will not conclude until the end of August, or the start of September.