of an offensive weapon (the electroshock weapon), and possession of a controlled drug (he had 24 sticks of cannabis at the time of his arrest). On 18 September, a preliminary enquiry in a district court was held to determine whether there was sufficient evidence for a trial to proceed. The magistrate overseeing the enquiry ordered Martin to stand trial for Gerard Lowe's murder on 2 October after hearing statements from 39 witnesses, and looking at more than 100 exhibits and 100 photographs that the prosecution had prepared as evidence. On 20 September 1995, a Singapore Prisons Department spokesman announced that two British journalists had deceived prison officials into letting them visit Martin, and then interview him, twice while he was on remand in Tanah Merah prison between June and July, adding the matter had been referred to the police. The journalists (Andrew Drummond and Gary Jones) later admitted visiting him separately, along with his sister Janet Martin, with the subsequent report being published in the News of the World on 2 July 1995. On 6 October, whilst in Singapore to attend Martin's trial, Janet Martin was interviewed by police regarding the journalists committing the criminal offence of giving false information to a public servant to make him use his lawful power (by allegedly telling prison officials they were Martin's cousins). No charges were filed. Trial The trial of John Martin Scripps for the murder of Gerard Lowe began on 2 October 1995 in the High Court of Singapore. Before the trial, Martin made a statement explaining that he killed Lowe in self-defence. He said he had fallen asleep after checking in, but woke up after someone touched his buttocks; it was Lowe, who was clad only in his underwear and smiling at him. To him, this behaviour made Lowe appear to be a homosexual, so he kicked Lowe away. This angered Lowe, who threw Martin's hammer at his stomach. Martin then grabbed the hammer and "hit [Lowe] several times on the head until he collapsed onto the carpeted floor." Martin then fled in a taxi to the Sentosa hotel of a 'British friend' and confessed to accidentally killing Lowe. Martin spent the night in Sentosa, while his friend traveled to the River View Hotel and disposed of Lowe's body by throwing it into the Singapore River. Martin continued, "I am not sure what was the next thing I did ...