Father tried to blame son, 14, for killing, court hears
A FATHER shot dead a man on the doorstep of his home following a dispute between their children then tried to blame his 14-year-old son for the killing, a court has heard.
Matthew Moseley, 50, allegedly “sought to manipulate” Thomas, his son, into saying he was responsible for the shooting in Oswaldtwistle, near Accrington, Lancs.
Preston Crown Court heard how the victim, Lee Holt, 32, had visited the address last October as part of a feud between his partner’s son, also 14, and Thomas. The prosecution claims Mr Moseley senior opened the front door and fired a Beretta semi-automatic shotgun once at Mr Holt, who later died from a single wound to the chest.
The defendant then allegedly handed the weapon to his son who was inside the house and suggested he take responsibility for the killing.
Robert O’sullivan QC, opening the case, said: “It is the prosecution case that Matthew Moseley, from the outset, has sought to manipulate his son into accepting responsibility for the shooting and the death of Lee Holt.
“Thomas initially did just that, out of what you may think was loyalty and love for his father. Indeed he was arrested and interviewed by police on suspicion of the murder of Lee Holt be- fore the truth came out.”
The court heard that Mr Holt, his partner Kate Phelan, her 14-year-old son Wesley Metcalfe, and a friend of the teenager went in a taxi to the Moseley family home.
Thomas had been in dispute with Wesley since May 2016 and a row flared up on social media between the pair earlier on Oct 25 with a suggestion they meet for a fight, the jury was told.
The messages were shown to Ms Phelan and Mr Holt, and they sent messages themselves to Thomas. Both were seen shouting outside the property and banging the outside windows. Thomas said he then saw his father bending down on one knee, taking a shotgun from a gun cabinet next to the porch and loading it with three cartridges. He asked his father what he was doing and he was told by his father to call the police, the court heard. Mr O’sullivan said Thomas dialled 999 from a cordless phone and a sound was heard about 10 seconds into the call, which the prosecution suggested was the firing of the gun.
The jury heard that Thomas brought the gun back inside the house after it was allegedly handed to him by his father, who then told him: “Tell them you have done it because you can’t get done for it.” When police arrived, Thomas told them he had shot Mr Holt.
On Oct 27 both father and son were taken to magistrates in the back of a police van as detectives applied for further time to question them, the court heard. A bug was placed in the vehicle. Mr O’sullivan said: “He can be heard telling Thomas that he is a minor and cannot go to jail and if Matthew Moseley did not get out they would come for his mother and younger siblings.
“He went on to say to Thomas ‘selfdefence for you, you didn’t know what you were doing. Me, different ball game’.” Mr Moseley was subsequently charged with murder and was remanded at HMP Preston. In prison he made a number of phone calls which were recorded, said the prosecutor.
On Feb 2 he was heard to say to his son: “They are going for life. You do realise that? They did explain that to you? I will never see you again. I will never, ever get out.” Mr Moseley denies murder and the trial continues.