CROSSBOW MURDER ACCUSED DENIES DRUG PRODUCTION ROLE:
CROSSBOW KILLING TRIAL FINISHES HEARING EVIDENCE AS DEFENDANT DENIES ROLE IN CANNABIS PRODUCTION
THE murder trial of a man accused of shooting a pensioner with a crossbow has finished hearing evidence.
Terence Whall, 39, of Bryngwran, Anglesey, is accused of the murder of 74-year-old Gerald Corrigan, shot shortly after midnight on April 19 last year at his home at Gof Du, near Holyhead.
Co-defendant Gavin Jones, 36, of High Street, Bangor, denies conspiracy to commit arson and conspiracy to pervert the court of justice. He did not give evidence.
Whall’s cross-examination by Peter Rouch QC came to an end on Monday at Mold Crown Court.
Mr Rouch put it to Whall he had destroyed an iPhone, crossbow, bolts and broadheads, and had a Land Rover Discovery burned out, because he had killed Mr Corrigan.
“That’s incorrect,” said Whall.
The court heard about cannabis previously being grown at Gof Du involving Richard Wyn Lewis.
In police interviews, Whall said he had heard Wyn Lewis was doing “big grows” there, but Whall denied having anything to do with cannabis production at Gof Du.
Whall accepted that Amazon purchases in 2016 were related to production of cannabis, but disagreed that equipment bought for his partner in 2018 was related to growing it.
The court heard Whall had debts of £36,000, and thought there could be legal action and credit card companies pursuing him. But he disagreed money was “tight”, saying his partner had recently had £65,000 from a divorce and “all my bills were paid”.
Whall accepted he had sole use of the Land Rover Discovery and used it to travel to Gof Du and Porthdafarch Beach between April 17 and 19.
Darren Jones and Martin Roberts have admitted the arson of the Land Rover at about 1.35pm in a disused quarry on June 3.
The court heard that, the evening before, Gavin Jones called his brother Darren Jones, before he called Whall, who said he couldn’t remember what it was about.
He told police that, on the day of the burning, he had taken his partner to a dental appointment at about 11.05am.
Land Rover telematics showed the car was still unlocked and, at 12.12pm, it was driven off. The vehicle was parked off Dean Street in Bangor for some time, before it was burned by Darren Jones and Martin Roberts. Whall said his knowledge of Darren Jones was “not much at all, really”.
The court heard that, at 2.56pm on June 3, Darren Jones joined Whall and Gavin Jones on Panton Street in Bangor.
Mr Rouch said: “The arsonist comes to join you and Gavin.”
Whall said: “He has come to join Gavin. I just happened to be there.”
Whall said he had no idea his car had been stolen at that time.
He said he didn’t know how DNA from Darren Jones got on to one of the keys for the Land Rover, and said it could have been transferred after a handshake.
Elizabeth Rees, who lives near Gof Du, was called to give evidence for the defence.
Ms Rees said that, on the night of April 18/19, she saw a small vehicle parked near Mr Corrigan’s home between 11pm and midnight or shortly after.
She told the court the lights were on, but were switched off about a minute or two later.
A minute later, the lights were turned back on again, she said, and the Land Rover drove along the farm lane, on to the main lane, and then onto the main road.
Under cross examination by Mr Rouch, Ms Rees said she thought the vehicle turned right on to the main road, towards Blackthorn caravan park.
Justice Nerys Jefford was set to give legal directions to the jury as the Mail went to press yesterday, with speeches for the prosecution and defence afterwards.