FOUR men, including one from Radcliffe, accused of murdering a cannabis producer were traced to the Cheshire farm where he was killed -- by their mobile phones.
Records of 10 mobile phones seized by police made it possible to trace the movements of several of the men immediately prior to and after the death of Brian Waters.
Patrick Harrington QC, prosecuting at Chester Crown Court, said he intended to prove which of the defendants were in touch with one another at the time of the murder.
James Stuart Raven, aged 45, of Parnham Close, Radcliffe, Otis Matthews, 27, of Marple Road, Chisworth, John Godfrey Wilson, 54, of Melbourne Avenue, Manchester and Ashley Guishard, 30, of York Road, Sale, are accused of murdering Mr Waters at Burnt Hill Farm, Tabley, on June 20 last year. They are also accused of conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm on Mr Waters, and another man, 21-year-old Suleman Razak. Raven has also charged with indecent assault. The court has previously heard that Mr Waters' body had been found in the milking parlour of the farm. It is alleged that Mr Waters, Mr Razak and Mr Waters' grown-up son and daughter had been held in a disused barn on the property, and had all been subjected to various tortures.
It is alleged that Wilson had fallen out with Mr Waters, with both having been involved in dealing in drugs, and that Wilson had orchestrated the murder, although he had not been there at the time.
The four men had apparently been involved in a reconnaissance mission, along with another man, Christopher More, who is suspected of having fled to Spain.
They were thought to have been demanding around £20,000.
When the police arrived the men ran, Raven was arrested close to the scene, whilst the other men were arrested over a number of months, after a huge police investigation known as Operation Musketry.
When questioned by police at Wilmslow, Raven was unable to provide an explanation for his being at the farm.
"This mature man was far from stupid. If he had an innocent explanation he would have been screaming it from the rooftops," said Mr Harrington.
The trial is expected to last a further 11 weeks.
Proceeding
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