A MAN arrested on suspicion of planning the murder of Hessle driving instructor Keith Slater 22 years ago has denied any involvement.

Mr Slater, 35, was stabbed in the neck on the doorstep of his home in Bon Accord Road by devil worshiper Martin Brown in 1988.

He died at the scene, but Brown was not brought to justice until 2007.

The breakthrough came after a cold case review by detectives revealed new forensic evidence and saw the killer extradited from Australia.

Hull Crown Court heard Brown was part of a devil worshipping clan.

He was found unanimously guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison.

Joe Henry, who had a five-month affair with Mr Slater's wife, Carol, in 1987, was last week arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder and soliciting another person to commit murder.

However, speaking exclusively to the Mail from his home in Northumberland, 53-year-old Mr Henry denied having any involvement in Mr Slater's brutal death.

Mr Henry, who lives on a council estate and does not work due to ill health, said he was shocked when detectives knocked on his door early on Wednesday morning.

He said: "I didn't kill Keith Slater. I didn't plan his murder and I didn't encourage Martin Brown to do it either.

"I only really knew Brown's brother, Patrick

"I accept I was the prime suspect back in 1988. I had been having an affair with the man's wife, so I could understand why the police were knocking at my door at the time, but it was a complete shock on Wednesday."

He also claimed to have co-operated with detectives during seven hours of questioning.

Mr Henry, who has two children from a relationship formed after the affair with Mr Slater's wife, said he didn't even know anyone had been convicted of the murder.

He said: "I felt for Keith's children after he was killed. They were only young.

"I was arrested then and co-operated, just as I have done now. The police treated me well.

"It was a shock when I got a knock at the door last Wednesday morning.

"I hadn't heard anything about Keith's murder for years. I didn't even known Martin had been convicted.

"I am worried the police are going to charge me with planning the murder. I really fear that they will but I don't think I will go to prison because I didn't do anything wrong."

Mr Henry told the Mail he was bailed until Wednesday.

Brown grew up in Anlaby and joined the Royal Navy as a cadet before returning to Hull, to take up with his brother Patrick. It emerged in court he had an interest in the supernatural, which intensified in the months leading up to the killing.

He was involved in ceremonies in woods in Surrey.

Hull Crown Court heard he would refer to Mr Slater as an "evil being" and was seen to dance around a campfire chanting "the man Slater is evil" and "the evil spirit Slater".

The jury in the trial was told Brown wrote the number 32 on a matchbox – the number of Mr Slater's house. He also wrote the number 2681988, to represent the date he planned to murder Mr Slater – August 26, 1988.

Brown wrote the number six, said to signify the killing would be easy and the number four, representing death in numerology.

* The Mail's comments facility had been disabled on this story for legal reasons.