Murder accused ‘asked me to say we met for sex’ trial told
Friend says he was asked to provide alibi but wasn’t told what it was for
THE man accused of killing pensioner Gerald Corrigan with a crossbow asked his friend to provide him with an alibi, a court heard.
Barry Williams, giving evidence at the trial of Terence Michael Whall, said Whall had told him he “needed an alibi but didn’t say why or what for”.
When Mr Williams met Whall’s solicitors, they made suggestions and “it was easier to agree”, he told Mold crown court.
Mr Williams said he was told to say they had had a sexual encounter not far from a caravan site close to Mr Corrigan’s home at Gof Du, and was given information about the location of a vehicle and a bag containing baby oil, lubricant and a sex toy.
David Elias QC, defending Whall, asked why he didn’t tell the solicitors suggestions of a sexual relationship were “rubbish” or “nonsense”.
Mr Williams said: “Not sure”. He later said he didn’t ask Whall about it “because he was his friend”.
Mr Williams said after the meeting with Whall’s solicitor, he went to see another solicitor because he needed advice.
He told the court he met Whall, a sports therapist, about five years ago after he was referred for a chest injury. He began receiving regular massage therapy for a few months. They were both interested in martial arts and became friends.
They would train together regularly and go walking and biking, but contact “dwindled” when Mr Williams began seeing his partner, Suzy Holmes, he told the court.
The court heard that on the evening of April 18, he dropped his girlfriend at work in Conwy, at about 9.50pm. He had broken his mobile phone during an argument with her, he told the jury.
He said after driving to meet his cannabis dealer in a lay-by, he then headed over to his mum’s house in Newborough to pick up a wallet he’d left there.
Mr Williams denied seeing Whall or being near Gof Du.
Giving evidence, his sister Elen and mum Meriwen Wiiliams said he arrived at about 11.15pm to 11.20pm. He stayed chatting to Elen until about 1am on Good Friday, before going to Llanddwyn beach for an hour and travelling back to Conwy.
The court heard last week that only two people had purchased the combination of bolts and broadheads that killed Mr Corrigan in the 12 months leading to his death. One was Whall, the other a man who had purchased the same items on Amazon ready for a hunting trip to South Africa.But the trip did not take place and all the items he bought had been recovered by North Wales Police,
Whall, 39, of Bryngwran, denies murder, and also denies a charge of perverting the course of justice and conspiring to commit arson.
Co-defendant Gavin Jones 36, of High Street, Bangor, denies the conspiracy charges. Two others have admitted arson.
The case continues.