Five accused of ‘senseless’ killing of man

“She had been for six or seven years the girlfriend and partner of the deceased.

“To call it a love triangle would be to give the situation a sort of credibility it doesn’t deserve. It was very grubby and unpleasant.

“Bashir’s hate for Preston greatly grew and his desire to have him out of the way came to be shared by Miss Mason.

“No doubt at first Mason had mixed feelings about it. After all she had been with Craig a long time from a young age.

“There’s no doubt that there was, and is, a controlling side about Bashir.

“But at the end of the day Leonie Mason is and was a strong-minded woman who chose to take the actions she did.”

The couple have gone on trial with three teenage boys – one 16 and two aged 15 – who can’t be named for legal reasons. All deny murder.

Mr Preston was alleged to have been attacked and killed on August 21 last year in a lane near Rotherham.

The court heard how he was brutally beaten by all five in a lay-by. He died later and his body was dumped on a picturesque but secluded spot near Woodhead Pass tunnel. It was found by walkers some time later.

Mr Enoch told the court that although the teenagers were young they were “streetwise’.’

He said: “They certainly knew what they were about and more than prepared to participate in violence against Craig Preston when asked to do so by the first two defendants.”

Mr Enoch explained that one of the boys knew Mason well and was close to her.

He said Mason, along with Bashir, recruited him to help them with their plan.

The other two teenagers were recruited through him.

Mr Enoch said that one of those recruited knew Mason well and from text messages between them appeared to be “her puppy dog’.’

He added: “He clearly had a crush on her.”