MURDER ACCUSED ‘went To STEAL DRUGS’
Trio accused of robbing and killing pensioner at home deny charges
A MAN accused of killing Swansea pensioner John Williams, below, has told a jury he only went to his alleged victim’s house to steal his crop of cannabis.
A MAN accused of killing a Swansea pensioner has told a jury he only went to his alleged victim’s house to steal his crop of cannabis.
The body of 67-year-old John Williams, who was also known as Jack, was found in his home in Pentrechwyth on March 31 this year.
His hands were bound behind his back, his face was covered in blood and he had suffered serious head and brain injuries.
Three people are on trial at Swansea Crown Court accused of robbing and killing Mr Williams – Jonathan Donne, his partner Gemma Owen, 31 and Simon Cairns, 46. The trio, all of Gordon Thomas Close, Brynmelyn, Swansea, deny murder, and an alternative charge of manslaughter, as well as robbery.
Yesterday, 42-year-old Donne, originally from the Bonymaen area of Swansea, told the jury that on the night Mr Williams died – March 29 – the trio had driven around Swansea “calling in favours” and trying to raise money.
He said they visited a number of areas where drug dealing was known to take place without success.
The defendant also said he was looking for information about anybody who may have a crop of cannabis they could steal. He said Cairns learned of somebody in Pentrechwyth who had cannabis.
In response to questions from his barrister Christopher Clee QC, Donne said he didn’t know the exact address of the house they were looking for – only that it was by a church.
He said he sent Owen to knock on a door on Pentrechwyth Road to ask if they had weed for sale – but Owen got the wrong house and woke up Mr Williams’ next door neighbours.
Donne said he went around the back of the properties to see if he could see any evidence of cannabis cultivation, and at one stage climbed over the wall of the church into Mr Williams’ garden.
Having identified the correct house, Donne said he knocked on the door and, when it was answered, he forced his way in. Donne said he and Mr Williams ended up “wrestling” on the floor of the house.
He described Mr Williams as a “feisty little bugger” who was struggling and shouting as they grappled on the floor. Donne said he eventually managed to get Mr Williams onto his stomach, grabbed the man’s arms, and tied them behind his back with a length of blue nylon “washing line” type rope he had brought from his flat.
He said he then called Cairns and Owen into the property. Donne told the jury he instructed Cairns to “take over” downstairs while he went upstairs to retrieve the cannabis from a bedroom.
He described Cairns as his “partner” and said the pair of them had gone to the house “to do job together”. The trio then left.
As they drove away, he said Cairns had told him he had checked Mr Williams’ pulse before leaving the house, and that he was still alive.
Donne told the jury: “I was not there to hurt him [Mr Williams]. I just come to steal his drugs. I didn’t expect him to fight. I didn’t expect him to be there to be honest. I was expecting some Vietnamese boys – that was the information I had.”
On April 4, a friend of Donne’s called Ceri Rees told him “Jack” had died.
Donne told the jury: “I was frantic. I still can’t get over it now. It’s done my head in.” He then started to cry. He said: “I cannot believe it happened. He’s dead. It’s done my head in. I only tied him up, you know what I mean?”
Donne added that he felt Cairns, a friend for more than 20 years, had set him up.
The court earlier heard that Donne has a 2007 conviction for manslaughter for stabbing his then-partner with a knife after she had pulled a blade on him during a row.
The trial continues.