GUILTY UK - Darren Bonner, 24, Cresswell, Northumberland 10 July 2017

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Seeing as this was quite a short trial (start date 18th June 2018) and the jury is currently deliberating its verdict I thought I would open a thread at this late stage while awaiting the verdict. The jury retired to deliberate on Thursday afternoon. So I will write up a few posts with the background info and copy over trial reports below.

The case is being heard at Newcastle-Upon-Tyne Crown Court.

The defendant is Richard Spottiswood, age 34. Darren Bonner was his employee.

 

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This is the second trial. The first trial started on 8th January and ended on 18th January.

Lucy Burn, 34, stood jointly accused of murder with RS and was acquitted on 17th January due to insufficient evidence that she participated in the violence.

The jury was told she had earlier admitted assisting an offender.

Her sentencing will take place at a later date.

'Shallow grave' murder-accused acquitted

On 18th January the jury was discharged :

Judge Ashurst said he decided to stop the trial after hearing legal arguments from prosecution and defence barristers.

'Shallow grave' murder jury discharged

 

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Second trial - 18th June Day 1

11:44
Jury has been sworn
A jury in the murder trial of Richard Spottiswood has now been sworn.

Timothy Roberts QC, prosecuting, will begin opening the case against Spottiswood soon.

12:37
Man heard 'moaning' behind wall
Mr Roberts tells the jury that, at around 8am on Monday July 10 last year, a member of the public was walking along Shore Road from Lynemouth to Cresswell, along the Northumberland coast.

The man heard what sounded like snoring noises and “loud repetitive moaning” coming from an area of dense foliage behind a dry stone wall.

The male carried on his journey in a northwards direction towards Cresswell Towers Holiday Park.

12:41
Decided to call the police
Mr Roberts said:

“On the man’s return journey, as he passed by the same point in the opposite direction, he heard the same snoring and moaning sounds again.

“He called out and explored a little to see if he could establish the source of the sounds but he could not.

“He decided to call the police because it seemed someone might be in need of help.”

12:58
Naked man found in 'shallow grave'
At 10.11am, two police officers arrived at the scene and they too heard the “mysterious” snoring and morning noises, the court hears.

As a result, they climbed over some concrete blocks, walked through a gap in the dry stone wall and went into the dense foliage of trees and undergrowth behind.

Mr Roberts said: “They came upon a naked man lying in an open, dug-out, shallow grave in earth.

“He was curled up in the fetal position, moaning and shivering.

“Although he was still breathing, he was not responsive to the officers.”

13:02
Police noticed fresh soil near grave
An ambulance was called but the officers couldn’t initially establish who the male was or how he had got there.

They did, however, notice that there was fresh soil piled-up beside the grave, the jury hears.

Mr Roberts continues: “The man’s naked presence there in the ground at the remote spot on the Northumberland coast that morning was a mystery.”

13:05
Red mark on man's neck
An ambulance arrived at the scene and a paramedic alerted the police officers to a “significant area of reddening” on the man’s neck, the
court is told.

The man was then removed from the grave and taken to hospital.

Mr Roberts said: “An examination on the man revealed that there was, indeed, a distinctive red mark on his neck and it was also noticed there were a number of tiny burst blood vessels on his neck.”

The prosecutor said the burst blood vessels and red mark were consistent with the “possibility of strangulation”.

13:07KEY EVENT
Darren Bonner died 16 days later
Mr Roberts continues: “The man, sadly, never regained consciousness.

“The medical team initiated a course of action to save his life but it was clear to them that his brain had been starved of oxygen, resulting in permanent brain damage.

“He was kept in intensive care for 16 days but, despite their best efforts, the doctors were unable to achieve any improvement in his condition.”

By this time, it had been established that the male was 24-year-old Darren Bonner.

He died at 10.30pm on July 26 2017, 16 days after he was found in the shallow grave.

13:10
Pathologist examined Darren in hospital
Mr Roberts tells the jury that, shortly after Mr Bonner was admitted to hospital, a forensic pathologist examined his skin.

He noted the tiny burst blood vessels and red mark on Mr Bonner’s neck.

Mr Roberts said: “He noted the tell tale mark left in the neck, which suggested a broad-based ligature or arm lock had been used to apply pressure to the neck.”

13:39
Marks suggested Darren had been hit on back
The court hears that the pathologist also noted that there was “linear marks” on Mr Bonner’s back, which suggested he had been hit “at least 12 times” by a “rod-shaped” weapon.

Other marks on Mr Bonner’s body suggested he had been “dragged through undergrowth, pulled or restrained”, Mr Roberts said.

A post mortem later revealed that the cause of Mr Bonner’s death was “blood and oxygen starvation of the brain, which had resulted in irreversible brain damage.”

Darren Bonner murder trial - man denies shallow grave killing

 

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13:41
'Spotty is gonna do me in'
The court hears that, immediately after Mr Bonner was found in the shallow grave, the police began to trace his last proven movements.

Mr Roberts told the jury that, at the time Mr Bonner was allegedly attacked, he was on unemployment benefit and earned £25 a day working for Richard Spottiswood, who he knew as “Spotty”.

Spottiswood owned a garage and hired Mr Bonner to work there but also allegedly paid him to “tend to cannabis farms”, the jury were told.

On Friday, July 7, three days before Mr Bonner’s body was discovered, Mr Bonner rang a former girlfriend.

Mr Roberts said: “He told her ‘Spotty is gonna do me in. I have got to off’.”

13:45
Travelled to Ashington on the bus
Later that evening, Mr Bonner boarded a bus at the Haymarket, in Newcastle, and travelled to Ashington.

On his arrival at the Northumberland town, he is captured on CCTV asking the bus driver when the last bus to Cresswell is and is told there isn’t one, Mr Roberts said.

The prosecutor added: “Shortly before 9.45pm, Darren Bonner sent a text message from his phone to his mother saying “Mam, can you text this number, please, and just say ‘Spotty, can you ring Darren’s phone ASAP’. I’m in Ashington.”


13:47
Caravan rented in Cresswell by Spottiswood
The court hears that, on July 6, a caravan was booked at Cresswell Towers Holiday Park for the weekend, from July 7 to July 10, by Spottiswood and his family.

At around 6pm, Spottiswood is captured on CCTV arriving at the caravan park in a Vauxhall Zafira.

He is seen leaving in the same vehicle at 11.20pm before returning again at 11.45pm.

Mr Roberts said this trip was to pick up Mr Bonner from Ashington and take him back to the caravan park.

14:10
Spottiswood and Mr Bonner travelled around North East
The court hears that, the following morning, on July 8, Spottiswood and Mr Bonner travelled together in the Vauxhall Zafira to South Shields.

On their return to Cresswell, they stopped off at Asda, in Blyth, to buy shopping.

Mr Roberts added: “Perhaps significantly, they bought a large garden fork for digging.

“They arrived back at the holiday park at 3.07pm.”

The court hears that, by 4pm, Spottiswood and Mr Bonner again left the caravan park in the Vauxhall Zafira and travelled south through the Tyne Tunnel.

Mr Roberts said the pair then swapped their vehicle for a “distinctive, former police riot van”, which was a white Ford Transit.

They then again returned to Cresswell Towers Holiday Park.

14:13
Seen socialising together in caravan park
Later on that Saturday evening, Spottiswood and Mr Bonner were seen socialising with each other and others in the entertainment complex on the holiday park, the court is told.

The following evening, on Sunday July 9, they are again seen socialising together in the same entertainment complex.

Mr Roberts said that, at 1.15am the following morning, a selfie was taken on the mobile phone of an associate of Spottiswood, which showed Mr Bonner.

The prosecutor added: “He was still up at 1.15am, now in the early hours of Monday, July 10, and, at that time, judging by the selfie photo, Darren Bonner appeared to be alive and uninjured.”

14:15
Captured on CCTV in van the day after
The jury hears that, at 7.46am, on Monday, July 10, Spottiswood is captured on CCTV leaving the holiday park in the white transit van and travelling south along Shore Road, passing the Golden Sands Caravan Park.

Eight minutes later, the van is caught on camera travelling north back passed the Golden Sands Caravan Park, before turning around and heading back south to South Shields.

Mr Roberts said: “The prosecution comment that there must have been a compelling reason to execute two U-Turns in such a large, heavy vehicle in such a narrow road in such a small space of time.

“What must that reason have been?”

14:37
The court is told that, at around 8am on the same morning, a member of the public was driving along Shore Road when he noticed a white transit van parked in a lay-by entrance to the dry stone wall, near where Mr Bonner was later found.
Mr Roberts said:

“As the driver approached that lay-by area, the large white transit van pulled out into the road causing him to break his car to a halt.


“He waited there for two minutes while the male driver of the van reversed the van completely off the road and back into the lay-by, with the rear doors of the van facing the gap in the dry stone wall.”

Mr Roberts added:

“That unusual manoeuvre made by Richard Spottiswood at the entrance to the site where Darren Bonner was later discovered gives rise, the prosecution say, to the inference that Darren Bonner was, at that moment, in the back of that van and his body was being dumped in a grave behind the dry stone wall at that time on Monday morning.”


14:40
Spottiswood drove to South Shields
The jury hears that Spottiswood drove the transit van back at an address in South Shields and is see to remove items from the vehicle, including a spade.
At 6.30pm that day, Spottiswood is then seen back in the Vauxhall Zafira travelling back to Cresswell, via Shore Road and the area where Mr Bonner had been found.
He then travelled back to South Tyneside.


14:41
Caravan was left a 'mess'
The court hears that, after Spottiswood left the holiday park on the Monday, cleaners went into the caravan he had been staying in.
Mr Roberts tells the jury:

“They described it as a mess. There was grass all over the floor and seats and, although finding grass was not unusual, they found mud on the bed sheets.

“The fire guard had been pulled off and was on the table. One of the cleaners had prepared that caravan prior to it being let out on Friday, so she knew it had been clean and tidy.”

14:43
Grave appeared 'freshly dug'
Mr Roberts said that forensic scientists and forensic archaeologists also examined the area where Mr Bonner was found.
The prosecutor added:

“The grave appeared to be freshly dug. There were tool marks evident. The implement that dug the hole could have had a curved edge and it would take a man about an hour to dig.”


14:48
Receipts found in the van
The court hears that Spottiswood’s white transit van was also examined.
Mr Roberts said:

“In the interior of the van, the police found Darren Bonner’s clothing and a dirty white sheet, the same type as from the caravan.”

Officers also found a mobile phone, a mobile phone battery and Mr Bonner’s phone’s SIM card, the prosecutor added.
Receipts for the garden fork, bought a few days earlier in Asda, in Blyth, were also discovered in Spottiswood’s Vauxhall Zafira.

Darren Bonner murder trial - man denies shallow grave killing

 

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14:57
Spottiswood 'evaded arrest'
Mr Roberts is now describing the arrest of Spottiswood on July 12, two days after Mr Bonner was found.
The prosecutor tells the jury:

“In the days that followed, Richard Spottiswood sought to evade arrest.

“He successfully escaped from a police car chase on July 12 and it was not until he was tracked down by a police dog hiding in bushes later that afternoon that he was arrested and brought into custody for questioning.”

15:00
Defendant denied attack
The court hears that Spottiswood was interviewed but denied attacking Mr Bonner.
He told officers that he had been spending a family weekend away at Cresswell Towers Holiday Park and Mr Bonner had joined them.
He claimed they had socialised “normally” and driven to-and-from South Shields on a number of occasions over the course of the weekend.
Mr Roberts added: “Mr Spottiswood said that when he awoke on Monday morning, Mr Bonner had disappeared. He had no idea where he had gone to.”

Spottiswood also claimed that, the reason his van was seen making a number of U-Turns on Shore Road on the morning of Monday, July 10, was because he thought he’d left a mobile phone behind, then realised he had not.

15:06
Version of events 'subsequently changed'
The jury is told that, during interview, Spottiswood claimed to be “offended” that he was being accused of hurting Mr Bonner and “kept up that pretence throughout seven police interviews”.
However, Spottiswood’s version of events has subsequently changed, Mr Roberts said.


15:18
Defendant said he and victim were 'partners'
Mr Roberts is now outlining Spottiswood’s subsequent version of events, which he has submitted in a defence statement.
The prosecutor said:

“Richard Spottiswood says that he and Darren Bonner were involved in growing cannabis together as partners.



“He said that Darren Bonner also had interests in trading stolen firearms and, during the weekend at Cresswell Towers, Darren Bonner had brought a bag of guns and ammunition to the holiday park in the back of the white van.



“He said that Darren Bonner had told him that he had dug a hole nearby and was going to bury the guns there for safe keeping.



“In the early hours of Monday morning on July 10, when everyone in the caravan was asleep, according to Richard Spottiswood, the two men, he and Darren Bonner, set off on foot to bury the guns.



“When they approached the hole, an argument flared up and it concerned Richard Spottiswood’s suspicions that Darren Bonner was betraying him to a rival drug dealer.”

15:26
Prosecutor continues
Mr Roberts is continuing to outline Spottiswood’s version of events.
The jury are told that Spottiswood claimed that Mr Bonner admitted that a rival drug dealer had stolen one of Spottiswood’s cannabis crops.
Spottiswood claimed he then told Mr Bonner he would have to “leave his garage [where Mr Bonner worked for Spottiswood] immediately, prompting Mr Bonner to “become aggressive”.

Mr Roberts added:

“Richard Spottiswood said he feared what Mr Bonner might do if he got hold of a gun, so put him in a headlock with his right arm.



“There was a struggle and Darren Bonner eventually went limp and fell to the ground. Believing he was feigning it, Richard Spottiswood says

he turned Darren Bonner over and, at that point, Darren Bonner’s legs fell into the hole in the ground.



“In a panic, Richard Spottiswood says he removed Darren Bonner’s clothes and, with that action, the upper part of Darren Bonner’s body also fell into the hole.



“Richard Spottiswood left him there where he lay, believing him to be dead. He took the clothes and dumped them back at the holiday park and he hid the bag of guns at a spot behind the dry stone wall.”

Spottiswood claims he went back the following morning to retrieve the bag of guns but said there was no sound coming from where he had left Mr Bonner.

15:37
The jury hears that Spottiswood continues to maintain that he was “acting at all times in reasonable and necessary self-defence”.
Mr Roberts added:

“Richard Spottiswood says he did not intend to kill him nor seriously injure him.”


15:40
'Spotty is going to do me in'
Mr Roberts tells the jury that trouble had been brewing between Spottiswood and Mr Bonner before the weekend at Cresswell, hence the latter’s telephone call to an ex-girlfriend on Friday, July 7, saying “Spotty is going to do me in”.
The prosecutor said that the pair had been involved in producing cannabis and that Mr Bonner had “admitted spying for an arch rival”.
Mr Roberts said:

“Richard Spottiswood choked Darren Bonner with an armlock.



“He held Darren Bonner’s life under the flex of his biceps. He applied the force and deliberately and progressively starved the brain of oxygen. He knew exactly what he was doing.”

15:40
Trial finished for the day
Mr Roberts has now finished the opening summary of the case.
The jury have been sent home for the day and the trial will resume tomorrow morning.

Darren Bonner murder trial - man denies shallow grave killing

 

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The court heard on the weekend before he was found fatally injured, Mr Bonner had joined Spottiswood on a family holiday at Creswell Towers holiday park.

[...]

Spottiswood told police it was during the mini-break that the hole had been dug for the men to bury firearms.

He claimed during the course of the exchange, Mr Bonner had confessed he had revealed the location of a cannabis crop to the rival, who had gone on to steal it.

Spottiswood said that during the row Mr Bonner had grabbed for the bag of guns and so put him in a headlock during a struggle, out of self defence.

He said he had removed Mr Bonner's clothes in 'panic'.

Jarrow garage boss 'choked the life out of worker Darren Bonner' | Daily Mail Online

 

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Day 2

The prosecution have called PC Michael Dodds to give evidence.

The officer was on duty on Monday, July 10 last year, and was tasked, along with a colleague, to attend Cresswell.

11:11
Officer heard 'heavy breathing sound'
Timothy Roberts QC, prosecuting, has asked the police officer what happened once he arrived at the scene on Shore Road, in Cresswell.

PC Dodds said: “I got out the vehicle and approached a small stone wall, which separated the road from the field.

“Upon arriving at the wall, I heard a loud snoring-type, heavy breathing sound coming from somewhere in the bushes.”

11:12
Officer describes finding naked man in hole
The officer tells the jury he went to investigate near the undergrowth to see if he could find the source of the noise.

He tells the court that, upon getting nearer to the foliage, he saw a “mound of dirt” and a hole in the ground.

Mr Roberts asked “What did you see?”

PC Dodds said: “There was an unknown male in the hole, naked and lying sideways in the foetal position. That’s what I saw.

“I could hear loud snoring, heavy breathing and some slight moaning as well.”

11:14
First aid given by police officer
When asked what he did next, PC Dodds replied: “I initially shouted ‘Hello mate, this is the police, can you hear me?’

“I got no response, just continual moaning, heavy breathing and snoring.”

The officer told the jury he didn’t get any response, so left his colleague with Mr Bonner to go back to the police car to get a first aid kit.

Upon returning, the police officer put on latex gloves and got down beside Mr Bonner and “offered what first aid he could”, the court hears.

11:17
Could not initially see any injuries
The jury are told that Mr Bonner continued to be unresponsive except for “snoring, heavy breathing and moaning”.

When asked what he did next, PC Dodds said: “I picked up his arm and could see his chest rising and falling, which led me to believe he was breathing.

“I picked up his arm and offered reassurance as best I could and tried to see if I could see any visible injuries on his body.”

The officer continues to tell jurors he couldn’t initially see any injuries to Mr Bonner’s body but did see some “dirt” in his ear and tried to remove it.

11:19
'He opened his eyes at one point'
Asked what happened next, PC Dodds said:

“His body tensed. He tried to pull his arm that I had hold of away from me.

“His body tensed and he was fighting against me.

“I continued to keep hold of his arm and reassure him it’s OK and everything is alright.

“I got no response from him. He opened his eyes at one point but it was not towards me. It was just opening his eyes. There was no acknowledgement I was there.”

11:20
Lifted Darren Bonner out of the hole
PC Dodds tells the jury that he then helped a man paramedic remove Mr Bonner from the hole.

He describes he had hold of Mr Bonner’s top half and the paramedic held the bottom half to do this.

PC Dodds added: “It was difficult to do and, personally, I had to use a substantial amount of force to remove Darren Bonner from the hole.”

The officer tells the jury that Mr Bonner vomited as he was being removed from the hole.

Mr Roberts asked: “Did you see Mr Bonner’s skin make contact with a hard or sharp surface while being moved?”

PC Dodds replied: “I can’t answer yes or no to that.”

11:22
Noticed a red mark on neck
PC Dodds said, just before moving Mr Bonner, he noticed a red mark on his neck.

The officer said he then temporarily left Mr Bonner to be treated by paramedics before he accompanied him in the ambulance to Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital, in Cramlington.

11:35
Asked about lifting Mr Bonner out of hole
PC Dodds is now being asked questions under cross-examination by defending barrister, Andrew Hall QC.

Mr Hall asks PC Dodds if, in order to get his arms under Mr Bonner to start lifting him out of the hole, he had to pull him slightly towards him.

PC Dodds says he did.

Mr Hall also asks if the foil blanket that had been put on Mr Bonner fell off when he was being moved.

PC Dodds says it did.

Darren Bonner murder trial - man denies shallow grave killing

 

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11:39
First paramedic on scene in court
The next witness is now giving evidence.

It is Alexander Robins, the first paramedic to arrive at the scene in Cresswell where Mr Bonner was found.

He attended the scene soon after PC Dodds in a rapid response ambulance car.

11:59
Paramedic thought Darren was 'not getting enough oxygen'
Mr Robins tells the jury that, upon arrival, he was summonsed over to where Mr Bonner was lying by a police officer.

When asked what he did, Mr Robins said: “I got into the hole to try and assess the patient.

“Initially, it was checking airways, breathing and circulation but it was clear as soon as I got in that his airway was compromised due to his position.

“He was loudly snoring and he also looked quite blue around his lips, suggesting he was not getting enough oxygen in his body.”

Mr Robins tells the court that he and PC Dodds removed Mr Bonner from the hole and placed him on the grass beside.

When asked if Mr Bonner’s skin made contact with anything “sharp, rough or abrasive” during his removal from the hole, Mr Robins replied: “Not to my knowledge.”

12:01
Given an oxygen mask
When asked what he did next, Mr Robins said: “I tried to place a nasal airway in. I put it in but it made him gag, so it was removed.

“I then gave him 100% oxygen by a mask.”

Mr Robins says more paramedics and an ambulance then arrived and a stretcher was brought to Mr Bonner.

Mr Roberts asked if either the stretcher or the area of grass where Mr Bonner now lay had any sharp surfaces, Mr Robins replied: “Not to my knowledge.”

12:18
Paramedic asked about 'pulling' Mr Bonner
Mr Robins is now being cross-examined by Mr Hall.

Mr Hall asked him if, in order to remove Mr Bonner from the hole, he had to pull him slightly along the hole.

Mr Robins replied that he did.

Darren Bonner murder trial - man denies shallow grave killing

 

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12:26
Walker made his way along Shore Road
The next witness, Watson Cowton, is in the box.

He tells the jury he was walking along Shore Road from Lynemouth to Cresswell on the morning of July 10 last year, a route he has done five times a week for 10 years.

12:52
Witness shouted 'is anyone there?'
Mr Roberts asks the witness what was unusual about his walk in the morning of Monday, July 10.

Mr Colton replies: “I left my home at 07.45 hours in the morning. I would arrive at the site probably between 08.15 and 08.20.

“As I was walking on the opposite side of the road, walking north facing the traffic, when I came to this particular point.

“I heard what I thought at first was very, very loud snoring noises. I found it strange at first but, when I thought about it, I’m used to seeing rough sleepers, hitchhikers and campers and I put it down to someone probably resting from the night.

“It was intermittent snoring so, after a short while, I decided it was not really worth further investigation.”

Mr Colton described going to the wall and shouting “Hello, is anyone there?”.

However, he got no response and carried on his walk.

12:57
Heard snoring on return journey
Mr Cowton tells the jury that, on his return journey passes the dry stone wall, he hears the snoring again.

Mr Cowton added: “I put my hands on the wall and shouted ‘Hello, hello is anyone there?’.

“At the time the noise was intermittent and the noise stopped. I stepped across a small rock, in between two large ones. In that very short space of time, I didn’t hear any sound whatsoever.

“I came back to the lay-by and I believe I was crossing the road when the noises started again and, at that point, I thought there might be something amiss and then I telephoned the police.”

Mr Cowton said he remained at the scene for 40 minutes then rang the police again to give them directions to the site of the snoring noises.

He then left before the officers arrived.

13:01
Witness asked if he saw white van
Mr Cowton is now being cross-examined by Mr Hall.

He’s asked if, at any point, he saw a white van parked in a lay-by on the road.

Mr Cowton said he doesn’t remember seeing a van.

Mr Hall asked: “In the 40 minutes you waited there, did you see a white, ex-police riot van driving along the road?”

Mr Cowton answered: “I don’t recall ever seeing a white van.”

Darren Bonner murder trial - man denies shallow grave killing

 

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14:19

The prosecution have called their next witness, John Hastings.
Mr Hastings was driving along Shore Road on the morning of July 10.
He tells the jury he was in the habit of driving his car along that road at the same time most mornings to take his three dogs for walk at Druridge Pools.
On Monday, July 10, he left his home at 7.40am and drove along Shore Road towards Cresswell village.

14:25
Witness saw the van
The witness describes seeing a white van in a lay-by.
He told jurors:

“I was driving towards Cresswell village. I was about 100 yards away when I seen a white van parked on the road and the lay-by.



“I didn’t know if he was going to pull out or reverse, so I slowed down. It was half across the road and half way in the lay-by. I stopped about 25 yards from it.”

15:08
Continuing to describe what he saw on Shore Road, Mr Hastings said:

“The van looked like it was going to reverse into the lay-by. When I stopped about 20 yards away, he manoeuvred into the lay-by.



“As I drove passed, he was still moving into the lay-by to get the van completely off the road.



“The back of the van was reversing into the lay-by.”

Mr Hastings said he saw there was only the driver in the front of the van but didn’t see he face as he was looking into the back of the van.

15:16
The van looked 'different'
The witness is asked to describe the van he saw.
Mr Hastings said:

“It was quite unusual from an ordinary transit van. It looked like it had been converted from a normal transit van.



“The body work looked different to a normal transit van.”

Mr Hastings said the vehicle “stuck in his mind” because it looked like an “old police riot van”.
The jury are told that Mr Hastings drove pastthe van and continued on his journey.
He added: “I looked back in my mirrors because the van looked like it had stopped there to dump rubbish, so I thought that was what they were doing.”
The court hears Mr Hastings drove back passed the lay-by to go home two hours later, when he saw a police car parked in the same lay-by.

Darren Bonner murder trial - man denies shallow grave killing

 

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Day 3

11:02
Former girlfriend of Mr Bonner called
The next witness to give evidence for the prosecution is Donna Churchill, who is the former girlfriend of the alleged victim Darren Bonner.

11:10
'Darren used to go and tend to cannabis farms'
Miss Churchill tells the court that she and Mr Bonner were together for about a year but their relationship ended in February or March 2017.

She tells jurors Mr Bonner had started working for Spottiswood at his garage in South Shields after replying to a job advert on Facebook.

Miss Churchill says Mr Bonner was living with her but he moved out into a camper van, which was parked outside Spottiswood’s garage.

When asked what other work Mr Bonner did for Spottiswood, Miss Churchill said: “Darren used to go and tend to cannabis farms with or for Spotty.

“I only found this out because, when me and Darren finished, I used to go and visit him at the camper van parked outside the garage where he
worked and, one night, Spotty came in and said he needed to go and tend to these cannabis farms.”

Timothy Roberts QC, prosecuting, asked: “When Spotty said he needed to go and tend to the plants, what did Darren do?”

Miss Churchill replied: “He refused because I was there and Spotty became a bit aggressive towards him so, in the end, he just went.”

11:18
'Darren used to ring a lot with different stories'
Miss Churchill tells jurors that, even after they broke up, Mr Bonner used to ring her on a daily basis.
Mr Roberts asks her if Mr Bonner rang her on the morning of Friday, July 7 2017.
She says he did.
Mr Roberts asks: “Can you tell me about the contact with Darren?”
Miss Churchill says:

“He rang on the morning when I was on my way to work. It was just general conversation at first but I explained to him I couldn’t have this conversation because I was outside work.



“He said to me ‘I have fell out with Spotty, he’s going to do us in, I need to off’.



“I didn’t believe him at that point in time. Darren used to ring a lot with different stories and I just said to him ‘Can you ring me back at 2pm when I’m on my break and we can talk more then?’. But, he didn’t ring back at that time.”

11:29
'You could never believe what he said'
Mr Roberts asks Miss Churchill about the “tone” and “manner” of Mr Bonner on the phone.
She says:

“He did sound quite scared. I’m saying scared because that’s the only word I can think of. It was always hard with Darren, you

could never believe what he said.



“So, I just thought he was saying this so I would stay on the phone or meet up with him.”

Mr Roberts asks: “What made you think he was scared?”
Miss Churchill responds: “I’m not sure, it was just the way he was.”

11:33
Did she hear from him over the weekend?
Miss Churchill is asked if she heard from Mr Bonner the following day (Saturday) or on the Sunday.
She says she did not.
Mr Roberts asks: “Was that usual or unusual?”
Miss Churchill replied: “Unusual.”
Mr Roberts says: “Did he say anything to you about going up the Northumberland coast that weekend?”
Miss Churchill says: “Nothing.”

11:34
Witness being cross examined
Miss Churchill is now being cross-examined by Andrew Hall QC.
Mr Hall asks: “You didn’t believe Darren when he said he had fallen out with Mr Spottiswood, did you?”
Miss Churchill replied: “No.”
Mr Hall says: “He often made up stories to get what he wanted?”
Miss Churchill says: “Yes.”

11:39
Questions about cannabis farms
Mr Hall asks Miss Churchill if Darren kept his involvement in cannabis farms from her.
She says he did.
Mr Hall asks: “Were you together in November 2016?”
Miss Churchill says: “Yes.”
Mr Hall asks: “Did you have any knowledge of Darren dealing, on the internet, equipment to do with cannabis? Lights and that sort of thing?”
Miss Churchill replies: “No. Not that I can recall.”

Darren Bonner murder trial - man denies shallow grave killing

 

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11:42
Next witness called
The next witness in the box is Ferne Barclay, who was a cleaner at Cresswell Towers Holiday Park when Spottiswood was on holiday there over the weekend of July 8 and 9 2017.

11:58
'Messiest caravan I had cleaned'
Ms Barclay is asked to describe the state of the caravan where Spottiswood allegedly stayed when she cleaned it on Monday, July 10 last year.
Ms Ferne says:

“All the curtains and blinds were all shut. There were dishes all over the kitchen area and, into the lounge, there was grass. There was grass from the kitchen all the way into the lounge and on the settee area area as well.



“The fire guard was also not on the fire, it waso

n the table in the lounge.”

Ms Barclay is asked how the state of this caravan compared with other caravans she cleaned at the site that day.
She replied: “It stood out as the most messy one I had cleaned.”
Ms Barclay says the other caravans had grass in them also but “not to the extent” of Spottiswood’s caravan.
She tells the jury it took her and a colleague over an hour to clean the caravan when it usually only takes half-an-hour.

12:03
No sign of damage in the caravan
Ms Barclay is now being cross-examined by Mr Hall.
He asks her if, aside from the mess in the caravan, there was any actual damage?
She says there was not any damage.
Mr Halls says: “There was no sign of any disturbance in the caravan was there? It was just grubby, yes?”
Ms Barclay replies: “Yes.”

Darren Bonner murder trial - man denies shallow grave killing

 

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12:05
Next witness called
The next witness is her colleague, Cordelia Cameron, who was also cleaning the caravan on Monday, July 10.

12:15
Caravan was cleaned before Spottiswood's stay
Ms Cameron tells the jury she cleaned the caravan before Spottiswood stayed in it on Friday, July 7, and it was clean.

She says the bed sheets were fresh and clean.

Mr Roberts asks if she cleaned the same caravan again three days later, on Monday, after Spottiswood had stayed in it.


12:25
Caravan 'filled with grass and mud'
Ms Cameron is asked what the state of the caravan was on Monday morning.

She says: “When I went back in on the Monday, the caravan was in a terrible state.

“It was filled with grass and mud. The kitchen work tops were covered in tobacco. It was in quite a bad state.”

Mr Roberts asks: “What was the condition of some of the bed sheets in the rooms you cleaned?”

Ms Cameron replies: “The beds had mud on them in one of the single rooms and in the double.”

Mr Roberts says: “Where did you find mud?”

Ms Cameron responds: “On the sheets and on the bedding and on the bed. There was also a bit of grass on the floor in the bedroom.”

12:29
No bed sheets missing
Under cross-examination, Ms Cameron is asked if any bed sheets were missing.

She says there were no bed sheets missing.

Mr Hall asks her if the grass surrounding the caravan had been freshly cut.

Ms Cameron says it had.

Mr Hall asks: “So, if the grass was wet because it had rained the night before and it had been freshly cut, it [the caravan] would be likely to get grass trampled in all over the place?”

Ms Cameron replies: “Yes.”

Darren Bonner murder trial - man denies shallow grave killing

 

[Tortoise]

12:53
CCTV evidence to be played

Next, CCTV evidence will be played to the jury by Patrol Sergeant Trevor Whitehead, from Northumbria Police.

He tells the court that, at the time of the investigation into Mr Bonner’s death, he was employed as a Detective Sergeant.

12:57
Around 1,000 hours of footage seized
The officer tells the jury that, because of the four-day time frame involved in this investigation, around 1,000 hours of CCTV footage was seized from various cameras.

Officers then had to examine the relevant footage.

13:08
CCTV from across the North East
DS Whitehead says CCTV was viewed from a number of areas, including Portberry Industrial Estate, in South Shields, a residential address in South Shields, Asda, in Blyth, the Tyne Tunnel, the A189 and A19, Cresswell Towers Holiday Park, the Golden Sands Holiday Park, a resource centre in Lynemouth, and a house and cafe in Cresswell.

14:22
CCTV is being shown of Spottiswood driving a Vauxhall Zafira car from South Shields, through the Tyne Tunnel and up to Cresswell, via Ellington at around 6pm on Friday, July 7 2017.
The end of the footage shows Spottiswood arrive at the reception area, in the Zafira, of Cresswell Towers Holiday Park.

14:31
CCTV shown of victim on bus
The next bit of CCTV footage shows Mr Bonner boarding the X21 bus service at Haymarket, in Newcastle.
He is then seen getting off the bus at Ashington at 10.12 pm on Friday, July 7.
More footage, taken at 11.21pm the same night, shows Spottiswood leave Cresswell Towers Holiday Park and drive south before returning less than half-an-hour later.
It is believed this was to pick up Mr Bonner from the Lynemouth area.

14:45
Spottiswood seen buying digging fork
Next, CCTV footage from Saturday, July 8, shows Spottiswood and Mr Bonner travel in the Vauxhall Zafira from Cresswell to South Shields and then back again.
On the return journey, the car drives via Asda, in Blyth, where Spottiswood is caught on camera entering the store and buying shopping, including a large garden digging fork.

14:52
Defendant also had large shovel
At 3.54pm the same day, CCTV footage shows Spottiswood and Mr Bonner again leave Cresswell in the Vauxhall Zafira and head south, via the Tyne Tunnel, to South Shields.
Less than an hour later, further footage shows Spottiswood and Mr Bonner in Portberry Industrial Estate, in South Shields, where they swap the Zafira for a white, former police riot van.
They are seen taking a number of items to and from the car and van.
Spottiswood is also seen putting a large shovel into the back of the van.
The pair are then captured on camera driving back to Cresswell in the van.

14:58
Next, CCTV footage from the entertainment complex at Cresswell Towers Holiday Park shows Spottiswood, Bonner and others socialising together on the Saturday night.
The following afternoon, on Sunday, July 9, Spottiswood and Bonner are seen in the van travelling from Cresswell to South Shields and back again.

Next, CCTV footage shows Spottiswood’s van travelling south out of Cresswell Towers Holiday Park and on to Shore Road.
It is seen eight minutes later travelling back north on Shore Road, before turning in a car park and travelling south again and continuing on to South Shields.

15:25
CCTV continues
Once back in South Shields, CCTV footage apparently shows Spottiswood get out of the van and “remove items” from the back of the vehicle and take them into a house.

The jury are next shown CCTV, which shows Spottiswood travelling alone in the Vauxhall Zafira back up to Cresswell at around 6pm the same day.
He’s then seen driving back south through the Tyne Tunnel just over an hour later and on to an address in South Shields.

15:28
Next witness in the box
Sgt Whitehouse tells the jury that a Berghaus jacket, a blue Nike hoody, a pair of North Face jogging trousers, a grey T-Shirt and a pair of Nike trainers, all believed to belong to Mr Bonner, were found in Spottiswood’s van.
Jurors are shown images from CCTV of Mr Bonner apparently wearing the items of clothing during the weekend of July 8 and 9 at Cresswell Towers Holiday Park.
A rucksack and a medical appointment card, also believed to be Mr Bonner’s, were also found in the van.

Darren Bonner murder trial - man denies shallow grave killing

 

[Tortoise]

Day 4

11:38
Trial resumes as pathologist gives evidence
The next prosecution witness to give evidence is Home Office pathologist, Dr Mark Egan.
He examined Mr Bonner’s body in hospital on the day he was found on July 10 when he was still alive.
He also conducted a post mortem on Mr Bonner after he died on July 26.

11:54
Mr Bonner had '32 separate injuries'
Dr Egan tells the court he was called by the police on the morning of July 10, who asked him to attend Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital in Cramlington to examine Mr Bonner.

The pathologist began his external examination of Mr Bonner’s body at 1pm the same day.

He tells the jury:

“There were a relatively large number of injuries.



“I labelled 32 separate injuries.”

12:30
Pathologist describes injuries
Dr Egan is now describing the injuries he found on Mr Bonner.
Explaining what he found on his head, the pathologist tells the jury:

“On the forehead and around both eyes and cheeks and the skin behind both ears, there were numerous tiny dot haemorrhages.



“They’re the kind of haemorrhages you might have seen if you were wearing too tight clothing or you play sports and someone pulls your clothes.



“There were a small number in the eyes themselves. These are caused by raised blood pressure in tiny blood vessels in the skin.



“It’s also caused by pressure on the neck where the pressure in small vessels in the neck is raised and causes tiny, pop-out haemorrhages.”

12:44
Dead man had various wounds on his neck
Describing injuries to Mr Bonner’s neck, Dr Egan said:

“Across the whole of the neck there were more of these dot haemorrhages. There was a band of these burst vessels across the front of the neck.



“Then, there’s an L-shaped abrasion or graze, an inverted L, going down and then across the front of the neck.



“The L was not strictly vertical, it followed the line of a muscle we have in the neck and our across the neck.”

Dr Egan tells jurors that there was also an abrasion near Mr Bonner’s Adam’s Apple, a tiny graze on his Adam’s Apple and grazes on the middle of his collar bone.

12:48
'29 areas of bruising, abrasions or grazes'
Dr Egan tells the court that he also found an L-shaped abrasion or graze on the right side of Mr Bonner’s neck, just below his ear, and more “dot haemorrhages”.
On Mr Bonner’s torso, arms and legs, Dr Egan says he found 29 areas of bruising, abrasions or grazes.

13:02
Injuries from 'rod-shaped weapon'
Dr Egan continues:

“The second group of injuries, a number of linear bruises and small number of abrasions to the back, represented the application of a mild degree of blunt force trauma.



“In my view, the injuries on the back represented at least 12 blows, most of which were delivered with a rod-shaped weapon.”

13:10
Pressure on neck caused brain damage and death
Summarising his findings, Dr Egan tells the court:

“The number of petechial haemorrhages (dot haemorrhages) on the forehead, cheeks, eyes and behind the ears and the marks on the neck, the linear abrasions and diskel abrasions, were consistent with pressure to the neck.



“The area involved is consistent with a broad ligature, such as an arm lock, and the pressure on the neck brought about signs of asphyxia and, ultimately, the pressure on the neck has caused brain damage, which has brought about death.”

13:13
'Evidence he has been restrained'
Dr Egan tells the jury that his findings indicate that Mr Bonner was fatally assaulted by pressure being applied to the neck.

He says: “The injured party was subjected to a fatal assault comprising of pressure to the neck, at least 12 blows with a weapon to the exterior aspect of the torso (the back), he has been exposed to undergrowth, either during transportation to the deposition site or some hours before that, and there’s some evidence he has been dragged and there’s some evidence he has been restrained.”

13:17
Victim had deep vein thrombosis, pathologist reveals
After Mr Bonner died on July 26, Dr Egan conducted a post mortem and found that the abrasions, grazes and bruises had either healed or were in the process of healing, he tells jurors.
The pathologist says he also found evidence of deep vein thrombosis, which was “a consequence of the fatal assault” and pneumonia, which was caused by Mr Bonner being “traumatised, unconscious and in hospital”.

14:33
Dr Egan is being cross-examined by defending barrister, Andrew Hall QC.
Mr Hall asks:

“You agree that Mr Bonner was not an office worker but a man doing hard labouring work, which brought him into contact with machinery and all sorts of sharp objects?”

Dr Egan says:

“Yes.”

14:49
'That would be ridiculous'
Mr Hall suggests to the pathologist that Mr Bonner dug the hole in the ground, in which he was later found, himself in the days prior.
He suggests that some of the injuries on Mr Bonner could have been caused from him walking through a nearby field of barley.
Dr Egan replies:

“If you have ever walked through a field of barley, you would know how kick it scratches. It doesn’t give the injuries I observed on Darren Bonner, I think that would be ridiculous.”

14:50
Mr Hall suggests that the majority of the scratches and abrasions on Mr Bonner are on areas on his legs and arms, which would not be
covered by a T-Shirt and shorts.
Dr Egan agrees that they are.
Mr Hall asks:

“All the scratches to the legs and all the scratches to his arms are consistent with Mr Bonner not once but twice pushing through hedges and shrubs and, indeed, digging a hole.”

Dr Egan says:

“Yes.”

15:09

Mr Hall asks Dr Egan if the injuries in Mr Bonner’s neck were consistent with with Spottiswood’s case that he had him in a headlock.
Dr Egan says they are.
Mr Hall asks if the headlock is a manoeuvre that police have traditionally used to restrain prisoners in the past.
Dr Egan says it is.
The defence barrister then asks if the manoeuvre has caused accidental deaths in the past in “tragic accidents”.
Dr Egan says it has.
Mr Hall then asks the pathologist if he agrees that the accidental deaths are the main reason why police are no longer trained in the headlock technique.
Dr Egan agrees that it is.
Mr Hall asks: “Richard Spottiswood says he applied pressure to Darren Bonner, who had been drinking and taking drugs, on his neck and he collapsed quickly. Is your conclusion and findings entirely consistent with that?”
Dr Egan replies: “Yes.”

15:27
The cross-examination is continuing with Mr Hall questioning Dr Egan about the bruises on Mr Bonner’s back, which appear to have been caused by a “rod-shaped” weapon.
Mr Hall asks: “Are you simply not able to say with any confidence that those bruises were inflicted at the same time or the same day as this man received his fatal neck injury?”
Dr Egan replies: “They could be 24 hours or, at a push, 48 hours old.”

Darren Bonner murder trial - man denies shallow grave killing

 

[Tortoise]

15:53
Dr Egan finishes evidence
Dr Egan has finished giving his evidence.
Next in the witness box is forensic archaeologist, Dr Karl Harrison.

15:54
Dr Harrison gives evidence
Dr Harrison confirms that he was tasked by Northumbria Police to
attend the area in Cresswell where Mr Bonner was found.
The archaeologist tells jurors he examined the shallow grave where Mr
Bonner was discovered and says he measured the hole as 1.4m long, 0.8m
wide and 0.6m deep.

15:56
Timothy Roberts QC, prosecuting, asks the archaeologist:

“What’s your opinion of how long it would take one man with one spade to dig a hole

of that size?”

Dr Harrison replies:

“It’s always a very difficult estimate to make

but, given the scenario of one physically-able man with a good digging

spade, I felt that size could be completed within one hour.”

16:10
No evidence of garden fork
Under cross-examination, Mr Hall asks if there was any evidence that a
garden fork had been used to dig the hole.
He says there was no evidence a garden fork was used.
Dr Harrison says the evidence is that a tool with a curved edge, such
as a spade, was used.

Darren Bonner murder trial - man denies shallow grave killing

 

[Tortoise]

Home Office pathologist Dr Mark Egan told the court he examined Mr Bonner in hospital once his condition had been stabilised.

He found "a relatively large number of injuries", some of which were clustered together, on his neck, face, arms, legs and torso.

he had been struck "about 12 times with a rod-shaped weapon", which would have caused "substantial pain".

'Shallow grave' victim had 32 injuries

 

[Tortoise]

Day 5

...today, the police interviews with Spottiswood in the days following his arrest for what was at that stage an allegation of attempted murder were read out to the jury.

[...]

Detective Constable Watson said Spottiswood told the interviewing officers that when he woke up on the Monday morning, Mr Bonner had gone and this was normal behaviour from him. When questioned about how Mr Bonner was found naked in a shallow grave, Spottiswood then said ‘I don’t know anything about that hole’.

Police interviews read out during Northumberland shallow grave murder trial

 

[Tortoise]

Day 6

During today’s proceedings at Newcastle Crown Court, the 34-year-old was in the witness box and said that he had up to a dozen cannabis farms at one point.

[...]

He said there was a problem with the Vauxhall Zafira he was driving and so this was swapped for his ex-police riot van when they went back to South Shields on the Saturday, and Mr Bonner then told him that he had some firearms in the van.

He said the atmosphere changed when Mr Bonner said he was now not sure if he should bury the bag with the guns inside...

more to read at link
Accused denies intent to harm at Northumberland shallow grave murder trial

 

[Tortoise]

11:03
Accused contacted Mr Bonner for 'cannabis-growing equipment'
Spottiswood claims he met first Darren Bonner in November 2016.
Spottiswood says he contacted Mr Bonner in order to buy some “cannabis-growing equipment” from him, which included lights.

11:10
Cannabis growing was 'profitable', Spottiswood says
Spottiswood is asked what he needed “cannabis-growing equipment” for?
He replies: “Because I was growing cannabis - that’s one of the trades I was involved in at the time.”
Spottiswood tells the jury he also owned a garage and a car lot.
Andrew Hall QC, defending, asks: “How were your businesses doing?”
Spottiswood replies:

“The garage was doing well and the car lot was doing well, they were both doing well.

“Obviously, the cannabis, it is what it is. Some people don’t like it but it’s profitable, that’s why we did it.”

11:12
Spottiswood says that, when he met Mr Bonner to buy the cannabis equipment, MrBonner said he was a mechanic and asked if he had any work going.
Spottiswood says he gave him a trial job at the garage, paying him £35 a day.
Spottiswood says Mr Bonner then also became involved with the cannabis farms by helping to look after them and was paid in cash and with some of the crop.
Mr Hall asks: “Was Mr Bonner careful with the money he made?”
Spottiswood says: “No. He had a very expensive lifestyle. He liked escorts and things like that. He took drugs as well and he liked to party.”

11:27
'I don't touch firearms'
Mr Hall asks Spottiswood about Darren Bonner’s alleged interest in firearms.
He asks: “What did you know about Darren Bonner and firearms?”
Spottiswood says: “Darren could get firearms. It was Christmas 2016 when I became aware he got a shotgun and sold it to someone in South Shields.
“He had a motto, if there was something you wanted, he could get it or he would try his best to get it.”
Mr Hall says: “Did you ever see a firearm in his possession?”
Spottiswood responds: “Yes. I saw one in his possession probably not long before this event happened.
“He was sat in the back of the camper van with one that he had sawn-off.”
Mr Hall asks: “Has it anything to do with you?”
Spottiswood says: “No, I don’t touch firearms.”

11:39
'No disagreement', claims accused
Spottiswood tells the jury that he had booked a weekend in Cresswell for a family holiday.
He says that, prior to the weekend away, he and Mr Bonner were “friends”.
When asked if there as any disagreement between the pair, Spottiswood says:

“No, not at all. The last time I spoke to him before that weekend was messages on the Thursday night when he was asking me if I had locked the garage. I hadn’t spoken to him after that until he rang me at Cresswell.”

Spottiswood is then asked how he felt when Mr Bonner rang him and asked if he could come and stay with him at Cresswell.
Spottiswood says: “Initially, I didn’t want him to come down.”
Spottiswood says he was subsequently persuaded to let Mr Bonner come and join them in Cresswell and went to pick him up from near Ashington on Friday night.

11:43
'Why did you buy garden fork?'
Talking about the Saturday, Spottiswood is asked if there was any disagreement between him and Mr Bonner.
He replies: “There was no problem whatsoever. He just needed somewhere to stay, that’s why he came up to Cresswell.”
Mr Hall asks: “There’s a suggestion you stopped at Asda to buy an implement to dig a shallow grave. Why did you buy a fork in Asda?”
Spottiswood says: “Our fork had been damaged and I had been badgered for days to get one and, while we were in Asda, there was one on sale, so I got it.”

11:51
Accused swapped car for a van
Spottiswood is asked why he later swapped his Vauxhall Zafira car for his ex police riot van when he drove to South Shields on Saturday
afternoon.

He tells jurors that he swapped vehicles because the Zafira had been “playing up”.

12:10
'Mr Bonner had been sleeping in the van'
Spottiswood is now being asked about his ex-police riot van, which he was seen driving in Cresswell on the weekend in question.
When questioned why Mr Bonner’s clothes and some personal items were found in the back of the van, Spottiswood says it’s because Mr Bonner has been sleeping and living in the van the previous week.

12:17
Accused questioned over alleged victims clothes in van
Mr Hall asks Spottiswood: “The socks Mr Bonner was wearing on the night of the incident at Cresswell, were they left in the van?”
Spottiswood says: “No.”
Mr Hall says: “The shorts he was wearing when the incident happened, were they left in the van?”
Spottiswood says: “No.”
Mr Hall says: “And the t-shirt?”
Spottiswood replies: “No. all of them went in the bin on the caravan site next to where the van was parked.”
Spottiswood is then asked why Mr Bonner’s mobile phone was in his van.
He says: “Darren put all his possessions in the glove box in the van. He lived in the van, there was stuff everywhere.”

12:33
'We were having a laugh'
Spottiswood is being asked about what he and Mr Bonner did on the Saturday night.

He says they all socialised in the entertainment complex on the caravan site where they were staying, Cresswell Towers Holiday Park.

Mr Hall asks: “What was the atmosphere like?”

Spottiswood says:

“Excellent. We were having a laugh. There were no problems whatsoever.”


12:44
Spottiswood on digging hole 'to bury guns'
Mr Hall asks Spottiswood if there was a conversation with Mr Bonner about guns.
Spottiswood says: “He told me they (the guns) were in the van. I told him I wanted them out the van. He wanted to put them in the garage but that was not an option as the garage had been searched earlier. He said he was going to bury them.”
When on the beach on Sunday morning with his family, Spottiswood tells jurors that Mr Bonner told him that he had found a place to bury the guns and had dug a hole.


13:13
'Mr Bonner had taken cocaine'
Mr Spottiswood tells the jury that, on the Sunday evening, which was the night before Mr Bonner was found in the shallow gave the following Monday morning, the pair were socialising again in the entertainment complex at the caravan site.
When asked about the atmosphere, Spottiswood says: “It was mint. We had a good laugh.”
He tells jurors that Mr Bonner had taken cocaine but they were in good spirits when they went back to the caravan at 11.30pm and had a BBQ.
He says they carried on drinking and having a laugh until the early hours of the morning.


13:21
Spottiswood discusses plan to bury guns
Spottiswood tells the court that, at around 1.30am, Mr Bonner started talking about taking the guns to the hole he had previously dug and burying them.
Mr Hall asks: “Before you had a drink, had you been planning on helping Darren to bury the guns?”
Spottiswood says: “I hadn’t been planning on helping him. I knew he had been planning it and I was quite awake myself”
Mr Hall asks: “Do you know what Darren had dug the hole with?”
Spottiswood says: “It was with the spade we had got from the garage earlier.”
Spottiswood tells jurors he and Mr Bonner set off to walk to the hole, with Mr Bonner carrying a bag, which he believed contained the guns he wanted to bury.

13:23
Mr Bonner 'brought up arch rival'
Spottiswood tells the court that he and Mr Bonner walked to the hole “across dense shrubs” while Mr Bonner was wearing shorts.
He says the atmosphere changed between the pair when Mr Bonner brought up one of Spottiswood’s arch rivals
Spottiswood said: “I asked him if he had been spying on me for [the arch rival] because I knew someone had been but I couldn’t put my finger on it.
“I thought it was someone else. He said no but I knew he was lying.”

Darren Bonner murder trial - man denies shallow grave killing