THE girlfriend of the Babes in the Wood murderer claims she had "no choice" but to lie during a murder trial, a court heard.

Jennifer Johnson, 55, said she was acting under duress when she gave evidence about a sweatshirt, which proved the killer's link to the murder scene.

She claimed the jumper did not belong to Russell Bishop who was cleared only to go on and kidnap and sexually assault another young girl, leaving her for dead.

Bishop was eventually convicted of the brutal murders of schoolgirls Karen Hadaway and Nicola Fellows - he is currently serving multiple life sentences.

Johnson has now taken to the witness stand during her trial for perjury and perverting the course of justice.

She told the court: "I had no choice but to lie, I’m sorry, I put my hands up but I had no choice.

“I feel sorry for the families, I wouldn’t know what it’s like to lose a child and I wouldn’t want to be in their shoes.

“But I’m sorry, I didn’t do the crime, but I’m in this court being treated like a criminal, I didn’t murder anyone.”

The Argus: The scene in Wild Park in 1986 when the girls' bodies were foundThe scene in Wild Park in 1986 when the girls' bodies were found

The Babes in the Wood murders saw two nine-year-old girls sexually assaulted and strangled.

They were found in a woodland den in Wild Park in October 1986 and Bishop went on trial the following year.

The court has heard how Johnson claims that Bishop told her to lie about a crucial piece of evidence - a blue Pinto sweatshirt

He was released and attacked another young girl from Whitehawk in 1990 before being jailed for life.

New forensic techniques led to his conviction in 2018 over the original murders.

Johnson said she would “rather be dead” than listen to the evidence in court again.

She added: “I’ve had to live with this all my life, nobody will know what I’ve been through.”

Johnson's was asked to talk about her relationship with Bishop prior to the murders.

She refused to say Bishop’s name as she detailed the abuse she had experienced at his hands.

The Argus: The blue Pinto sweatshirt linked Bishop to the crime sceneThe blue Pinto sweatshirt linked Bishop to the crime scene

Johnson said: “He forced me to do things I didn’t want to, strangle me, hit me and I couldn’t get help, I was stuck.

“I used to phone the police but they would do nothing, they’d say it was a domestic issue.”

Johnson told the court she stayed in a relationship with Bishop because there was “nowhere else to go”.

She had the first of four children with Bishop when she was just a teenager and said they had been bullied as as result of his crimes.

Johnson said: “They’re my children, they’re not his, they’re mine, all four of them are my children.”

She added that she had lost her “dream job" working with disabled children due to the court case.

But Johnson, of Saunders Park View, Brighton, denies perjury and perverting the course of justice.

The trial at Lewes Crown Court continues.

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