Defendant reveals part in sale and dealing of drugs
A FATHER of two accused of murdering a tax worker gunned down in a layby claimed the deceased was lying about who had shot him because he feared revenge attacks from “more powerful enemies”.
Brothers Stephen Bennett, 53, and Edward Bennett, 47, deny murdering Mark Jones, who worked for HMRC.
Mr Jones, 43, was found with gunshot wounds in a layby on the A4059 in Mountain Ash on July 26 last year. He died in hospital two months later.
On Monday a jury at Cardiff Crown Court was read extracts from police interviews with the defendants at Merthyr Bridewell police station in the days following the shooting.
On arrest Edward Bennett denied being responsible for the shooting and denied having any knowledge of the incident.
In his ninth and final police interview the defendant made a statement to police after he was told Mr Jones had accused him of the shooting.
He said: “I have been provided with disclosure which suggests Mark Jones has held me responsible for his shooting. I wish again to deny the shooting and I was not at the lay-by.
“Mark Jones has more powerful enemies than myself and he is lying because he fears reprisals and revenge attacks.”
The court heard it was agreed by the prosecution and the defence that Mr Jones was involved in the dealing of drugs.
The court also heard he was an occasional cocaine and anabolic steroid user.
Edward Bennett also gave evidence as the defence began outlining its case on Tuesday.
He was asked by defence barrister Peter Griffiths QC: “Did you murder Mark Jones in that layby on the evening of July 26?”
Bennett said: “No, no, no.”
Mr Griffiths asked: “We’re you present at the layby when he was shot?” Bennett said: “No, no.” Mr Griffiths added: “Did you have any knowledge or pre-involvement of that shooting?”
The defendant “No, not at all.”
Mr Griffiths asked Bennett what the arrangement was between him and Mr Jones in relation to sale and distribution of drugs.
Bennett said he would take drugs, namely meowmeow, from Mr Jones and would sell them on.
He said if he sold a kilo of meow-meow for £9,000 they would split the £4,000 profit equally said: beween them. Bennett told the court he owed Mr Jones around £4,000 at the time of the incident. Extracts from police interviews from Stephen Bennett were also read out to the court on Monday. When asked about his movements on the day of the shooting he said his brother Edward visited his house and they watched television for an hour or so before Edward left to go to his girlfriend’s house.
Stephen Bennett then said his daughter, son-inlaw and some of his grandchildren turned up and his partner Beverley later arrived from a birthday party. Bennett said he then went to Tesco to pick up some prosecco and came back home where he ate a tray of party food which was brought back for him.
At about 8.30pm Bennett said his family left so him and his partner watched Casualty on television before going to bed at about 10.45pm.
In his fourth police interview Stephen Bennett was told about Mr Jones accusing Edward Bennett of shooting him.
In a prepared statement, the defendant said: “I can categorically state I was not present in the layby and I can categorically state I did not see or touch Mark Jones on July 26.
“I have no knowledge of what occurred in that layby on July 26.”
Both Stephen Bennett, from Masefield Way in Pontypridd, and Edward Bennett, from Station Terrace in Penrhiwceiber, deny murder.
The trial continues.