Gang tortured father in abuse compared to ‘Dark Ages’, court told

A vulnerable father-of-two was tortured and murdered, including being forced to eat one of his own body parts, by a gang of four people he thought were his friends, a court has heard.

Jimmy Prout, 45, was subjected to months of “Dark Ages” abuse by the group before they dumped his body on wasteland, a jury was told.

Ann Corbett, 26, of no fixed address and Zahid Zaman, 43, Myra Wood, 50, and Kay Rayworth, 56, all of St Stephen’s Way, North Shields, deny murdering him and causing or allowing the death of a vulnerable adult.

They have all pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice.

The jury at Newcastle Crown Court heard the group of five had a strange relationship which had developed an almost “cultish dimension”.

It is alleged a series of events in late 2015 created tensions which led to a number of serious assaults against Mr Prout.

Paul Greaney QC, prosecuting, said: “In effect, over a period of time, Jimmy Prout was not just mistreated, he was tortured.

“The prosecution case is that the four defendants took part in that violence against Jimmy Prout, either inflicting injuries directly or assisting or encouraging the other members of the group to do so.”

Mr Greaney said the evidence suggested Mr Prout died on February 9 2016, and his body was dumped on wasteland 100 metres from his home.

The group then allegedly set about covering their tracks as well as fleecing his bank account, asking people if they had seen Mr Prout as they pretended to look for him.

Eventually on March 25, the police received a call from Zaman in which he claimed Corbett had attacked him and killed Mr Prout, in an attempt to “throw her to the wolves”.

On attending St Stephen’s Way officers found Zaman, Rayworth and Wood, who claimed to have letters written by Corbett confessing to the murder.

Mr Greaney told jurors it was “pure theatre” because they all knew Mr Prout had been dead for more than six weeks.

The case continues.