Tarot card reader tells of killer's Brighton seafront confession Published duration 27 May 2016

media caption Tarot card reader Jayne Braiden heard the confession to a murder during a card reading

A killer confessed to his housemate's murder during a tarot card reading as the devil card was dealt.

Star Randel-Hanson killed Derick Marney, 70, at a flat in Vernon Terrace, Brighton, in May 2015.

He broke down and confessed to the murder 10 days later he went to tarot reader Jayne Braiden on Brighton seafront.

She alerted police but was told it was a "non-emergency" so she waited an hour with the killer for an officer to come.

Ms Braiden told BBC Radio 5 Live: "By the time we got to the devil card he broke down and started crying.

"It's the first time I've dealt with murder before. It was a shock but you have to be professional and I needed to keep him calm."

image copyright Sussex Police image caption Star Randel-Hanson was sentenced to a minimum of 14 years in prison

Mr Marney died from a six-inch (15cm) stab wound to his side, which punctured his vital organs.

Sussex Police said it was "not clear" what motivated Randel-Hanson - who was jailed for life on 9 May - to carry out the murder.

'Joked about delay'

After gaining the defendant's trust, Ms Braiden asked him whether she could go outside to call the police. He agreed.

She said: "I explained [to the 999 operator] I was a tarot reader and told her a man had confessed to murder.

"She told me it was a non-priority call and I needed to ring the non-emergency number.

"Unfortunately they didn't believe me, but I'm not surprised at that."

image copyright Sussex Police image caption Derick Marney lived in the flat in Vernon Terrace

She said she then bought Randel-Hanson a drink from a shop next door and waited 55 minutes for police to arrive.

"I asked him if it was ok if I took notes... I took names, places, where he had been stabbed and where the body was," she said.

"I didn't ask him why, and to be fair I don't think he wanted to talk to me about that.

"We joked about the time it took the police to come.

"He was getting tense at that point as I was not only looking for police through the glass doors, he was as well."

media caption Tarot card reader Jayne Braiden on how a man confessed to a murder during a card reading

Sussex Police later admitted the call had been given the wrong level of priority.

A spokesman said it has been discussed with the call handler concerned and "suitable advice was given".

image copyright BBC news grab image caption Derick Marney's body was found in a flat in Vernon Terrace, Brighton