Witnesses for the prosecution are giving evidence in the murder trial of a couple accused of killing a man found fatally injured in a shallow grave.
Darren Bonner was allegedly murdered by boss Richard Spottiswood and his partner Lucy Burn during a family caravan holiday.
The 24-year-old was found seriously injured in a hole in the ground in Cresswell, Northumberland, after a walker raised the alarm when he heard snoring and moaning noises from behind a dry stone wall.
Prosecutors say he had been choked in a head lock by Spottiswood, who had allegedly accused him of betraying him to his arch-rival.
It is claimed Mr Bonner was then dumped in a shallow grave and left for dead. He died of his injuries 16 days later.
Spottiswood, 34, of Canterbury Way, Jarrow and Burn, 29, of Burns Close, South Shields, deny murder. Burn has admitted assisting an offender.
We will bring you live updates as witnesses give their evidence to the jury at Newcastle Crown Court.
Trial to begin again at 2pm
The case is adjourned for lunch until 2pm.
PC Dodds said he tried to locate where the sound was coming from and proceeded into a field.
He said he came across a mound of earth then saw Mr Bonner in a hole.
Second PC begins evidence
PC Michael Dodds, who attended the scene with PC Kelly, is next in the witness box.
He said:
“I heard a snoring noise which was continuous. It was quite a loud snoring noise.”
Mr Bonner continued to make snoring noise
PC Kelly said her and her colleague and paramedics got into the hole and moved Mr Bonner from under the tree roots and lifted him out.
She added:
“He continued to make the snoring noise.”
The officer was asked about Mr Bonner “physically shivering with cold”.
She said:
“Yes but he was not freezing cold “
Police officer continues evidence
She continues:
“He raised his arms up and resisted being moved.
“He did seem to open his eyes at one point and was breathing.
”We tried to reassure him and let him know we were there to help him.
”He seemed to blink.
”The noises he was making indicated he was breathing.”
Alleged victim resisted help
PC Kelly said they tried a manoeuvre the man from the foetal position to make his breathing easier.
She said:
“He held his arms out and resisted us.”
'It was clear he was badly injured'
The officer says she and her colleague went into an area of foliage.
She said:
“We saw a hole.
”We were both shocked and saw it looked like a grave, a dug out grave.”
PC Kelly said there were tree roots over the torso of the man in the hole.
She adds:
“We tried to communicate with the gentleman and tried to talk with him.
”He was still making loud snoring noises.
”It was clear to us he was badly injured in some way.”
Police officer next in the witness box
The next witness is PC Victoria Kelly, who attended the scene around 9.40am.
She said:
“As soon as I got out of the police car I heard this noise that I would describe as snoring.”
Witness reported suspicions to police
Mr Cowton said of his return journey:
“I heard the same sound.
”I was perhaps about five yards from the layby when I first heard the noise.
”It was not a loud noise at first, then it stopped.
”I believe I put my hands on the wall and shouted ‘hello, hello’ but there was no reply.”
Mr Cowton said he couldn’t see anyone but started thinking someone may be in need of help so he phoned the police and reported his suspicions.
Witness says the noise was 'rather loud'
Mr Cowton:
“The noises seemed to stop after a few minutes and I decided perhaps it may be someone sleeping rough or camping or hitch hiking so I proceeded to continue my walk to Cresswell.
”The noise did sound rather loud. I am rather hard of hearing.
”It was a still morning and noise travels in the stillness so it was quite loud.”
'I was unsure what it was'
Mr Cowton continues:
“I was unsure what it was.
”I walked towards the low stone wall, I believe I put my hands on the wall.
”I peered through the foliage and shouted ‘hello, hello’. I got no reply.”
Witness heard a snoring sound
Mr Cowton is asked if something unusual happened in his walk on July 10 last year.
He said:
“I heard what I thought was loud snoring coming from my left.
”I stopped and thought it was quite strange.
”The snoring, or what I thought was snoring, stopped.
”I was about to walk on when it started again.”
New witness in the box
The next witness is Watson Cowton, from Lynemouth, who at the time last July was in the habit of walking his dogs towards the Golden Sands Caravan Park and back five times a week between 7.45ma and 8am.
Police cars were in the layby
Mr Hastings said he took his dogs for a walk to Druridge Pools for a couple of hours then headed home the same way he had travelled earlier.
As he passed the layby, he said the van was gone.
He added:
“Two police cars were in the same layby.”
'He was not looking towards me'
Asked if the driver of the van acknowledged the inconvenience as Mr Hastings went past, he said:
“He was not looking towards me, he just kept looking to the left.
”I raised my hand but he was not looking at me to acknowledge me as I went by. He made no signal to me.
”As I went over the brow of the hill the van was still in the layby.”
Witness did not see anyone else in the van
Asked who was in the van, he said:
“I could see it was a man but I didn’t see his face, just the back of his head. He was turned facing the passenger side.
”I couldn’t see anybody else in the van.
”I didn’t see any doors open.”
Witness slowed down for the van
On Monday, July 10 he arrived just before Cresswell in his Ford Ka around 8.15am.
He said:
“A hundred yards away I saw a white van half way in the layby and half way in the road.
”I slowed down because I thought he was going to do a U-turn or pull out in front of me.
”I stopped for a couple of minutes to see if he was going to pull out then it started to reverse into the layby.
”I decided to drive slowly past.”
Mr Hastings continues:
“It was quite an unusual shape, it was not a usual van, it was as if it had been converted from something.
”It was reversing slowly into the layby. I thought somebody was going to dump rubbish because they are always doing that round there.”
Witness visited the area every morning
Mr Hastings, from Blyth, who is retired, says he visited the area every morning about 8.15am to 8.30am to walk his four dogs, do some bird watching and walk on the beach.
The trial is back under way
The first witness is John Hastings, a motorist who came to a halt as Spottiswood turned a former police riot van in the road in Cresswell.
Prosecutors have said he may have been putting Mr Bonner in the shallow grave around this time.