Colchester: Friends saw teens on CCTV, court told (From Gazette)

Colchester: Friends saw teens on CCTV, court told

9:26am Monday 28th April 2008

• Print
• Email
• Share

A group of friends told police the names of two teenagers wanted for questioning over the killing of a young Colchester mother., a jury heard.

A court was told on Friday how detectives probing the death of Helen Maughan gave out leaflets in the town, with closed-circuit television images of the men they wanted to speak to.

A mobile police office was also set up near the scene of the killing, close to Quilters pub in Middleborough, and the leaflets asked people to visit the office to view the video of the men.

The teenage friends saw the flyers, and Chelmsford Crown Court heard they went to the police office at the scene.

Within moments of seeing the video, police were given names of two men.

All four friends identified the two teenagers on the film, and the court has heard how the pair were arrested later and accused of murdering mother-of-two Miss Maughan.

The jury of six men and six women have been told the teenagers, aged 13 and 16 at the time, have blamed each other for the killing.

The court heard how officers launched an appeal for help soon after Miss Maughan's half-naked body was discovered in the River Colne, on May 20 last year.

She had last been seen near Quilters on the previous Friday night, and CCTV coverage showed her with two people. Later on, the film showed the two people back in the area, but not Miss Maughan.

As the police probe continued, the decision was taken to issue stills from the CCTV, on a leaflet appealing for information.

The teenage friends saw the leaflet and, on July 27, went to the mobile office, where they identified the teenagers as soon as they saw the film.

"I recognised them straight away," one of the friends, aged 16, told the jury.

A few days after naming the teenagers, the friend said he was in Castle Park when he saw the 14-year-old accused of the murder.

"I told him I had seen them on the CCTV and had identified them to the police, and he could expect a visit from them any time," he told the jury.

Prosecutor Sasha Wass QC asked him: "When you spoke to him in the park, what was his reaction ?"

The teenager replied: "He looked a bit shocked, then he carried on walking."

• The trial continues.

• Print
• Email
• Share