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Three on trial in "body in a suitcase" murder (From Bournemouth Echo)
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Three on trial in "body in a suitcase" murder
Updated 4:14pm Tuesday 5th March 2013 in News By Paula Roberts
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- THE trial of three people accused of murdering Boscombe man Geoffrey Reed begins today
- Stuart Raymond Wareham, 26, of Cecil Road, Boscombe, Benjamin Henry Walter, 22, and Lee Raymond Wareham, 33, both of no fixed address, are accused of murdering Mr Reed, 57, in Bournemouth between June 6 and June 14 last year
- Mr Reed,a convicted sex offender, went missing from his flat in Cecil Road. His remains were discovered in an area of woodland off Huntick Road, Lytchett Matravers, north of Poole.
- Timothy Mousley QC and Simon Jones prosecute.
- Stuart Wareham is represented by Ian Lawrie QC and Timothy Bradbury.
- Lee Wareham is represented by Oba Nsugbe QC and Rebecca Fairbairn.
- Benjamin Walter is represented by David Mason QC and Andrew Baker.
4:14pm
Court finishes for the day.
3:56pm
Short break.
3:21pm
Benjamin Walter wrote to Stuart Wareham from prison: 'It's no comment all the way. I ain't no grass. All three of us are the three musketeers - all for one and one for all.'
3:19pm
In another letter Stuart Wareham told his sister: 'I admit I hate paedos. I didn't kill him that day. I hit him and knocked him to the floor then the others started kicking, jumping and stamping on him.'
3:17pm
Passages from letters will be read to the court from Stuart Wareham where he says - I am sorry for what I have done.
He also said 'I do regret what happened to Geoff'.
3:15pm
Mr Reed also suffered a heavy blow to the skull.
3:14pm
Geoffrey Reed died of multiple blunt force injuries.
Pathologist found Mr Reed had suffered crushing injuries to his neck caused by jumping or stamping.
3:11pm
There was extensive bruises and fractures to Mr Reed's head, neck and spine.
There was a disc like fracture on the rigt side of the skull.
There were 28 fractures to the ribs and two fractures of the breast bone.
3:07pm
A post Morton examination was carries out on Geoffrey Reed.
He was discovered doubled up in the foetal position
He was fully clothed with a white carrier bag over his head. A ligature or gag was discovered around is neck.
3:01pm
Police discovered a very well hidden shed in Boscombe which contained a pair of white trainers and Geoffrey reed's jacket.
2:52pm
Jury being shown area where the suitcase was found buried. It was disguised with small branches, twigs and bramble.
specialist search dogs were brought in.
The suitcase was carefully uncovered and inside the body of Geoffrey Reed was discovered.
2:47pm
Police began their search for Geoffrey Reed off Huntick Road in Lytchett Matravers.
2:46pm
Stuart Wareham was arrested on June 10 and was calm. He described Geoffrey Reed as a 'dear friend of mine'.
Benjamin Walter was also arrested.
Lee Wareham was arrested the following day.
2:43pm
Residents in the flat heard movement in the bathroom and believe this was attempts to put Geoffrey Reed's body under the bath behind the bath panel.
2:40pm
Witnesses also recall seeing Stuart Wareham and Benjamin Walter cleaning the bathroom with bleach.
2:39pm
Witness Daniel Anderson says Stuart Wareham told him - 'I killed Geoff. I strangled him. It took me eight minutes to kill him. He stopped struggling after five minutes and then I put a screwdriver in his head.'
2:34pm
Stuart Wareham and Benjamin Walter return to the Boscombe area and head to KFC on Christchurch Road to get something to eat.
They are then captured on CCTV returning back to flat just after 7pm.
2:27pm
Kelly drops Stuart Wareham and Benjamin Walter in Huntick Road, Lytchett Matravers.
They borrow two spades and a fork from Stuart's grandmother Jean Skinner.
Caught on CCTV carrying the spades and fork.
2:24pm
Stuart Wareham puts suitcase in the boot and tells his sister it contains the body of a dog. Says he wants to bury it on land belonging to his grandmother in Lytchett Matravers.
2:23pm
Stuart Wareham calls his sister Kelly and asks her to pick him up from the flat.
Stuart Wareham can be seen on CCTV carrying a large suitcase outside which the prosecution claim contains the body of Geoffrey Reed.
2:20pm
Lee Wareham left the flat carrying the bag he arrived with and a large holdall and heads to the sea via San Remo Towers.
At 3.15pm Stuart Wareham can be seen arguing rubbish out.
2:05pm
Everyone has come back into court.
Prosecutor Timothy Mousley QC continues with his opening.
1:01pm
Break for lunch.
1:00pm
Friends describe seeing Stuart Wareham and Benjamin Walter sitting in the lounge area of the flat where there is a large black and unusually packed suitcase.
12:57pm
Pros: Benjamin Walter is attempting to give the impression that the figure captured on CCTV is Geoffrey Reed and he is still alive.
12:56pm
Benjamin Walter can be seen on CCTV a short time later no longer wearing Mr Reed's jacket.
12:55pm
At 1.21pm CCTV footage shows two occupants of the flat leaving with two visiting neighbours.
The only people inside the flat are Lee Wareham and Stuart Wareham and Mr Reed who the prosecution say is already dead.
12:50pm
At 1.19pm CCTV shows a man emerging from the flat dressed in Geoffrey Reed's distinctive jacket and wearing white trainers.
Pros say that person is Benjamin Walter.
A minute later he is seen walking towards Sea Road with a black holdall.
12:47pm
Two residents of the block of flats knock on flat 2 at 1.09pm and the door is answered by Stuart Wareham.
12:46pm
They get back to the flat at 11.45am.
Jury now being shown CCTV of Geoffrey Reed returning to the flat with Benjamin Walter and Timothy Mousley QC says this is the last time Mr Reed is seen alive.
12:43pm
They then make their way back to the flat, stopping at Boscombe Food and Wine on the way.
12:39pm
At 11am they make their way back to the flat.
At 11.32am Benjamin Walter and Geoffrey Reed go back to the Nationwide Building Society and leave at 11.41am.
On this visit Walter asks for balance statement and is told all that can be withdrawn is £2.50. Benjamin Walter was behaving aggressively towards the counter staff.
CCTV of this visit is now being shown to the jury.
12:26pm
At 10.54am Geoffrey Reed and Benjamin Walter go to Nationwide Building Society and ask for money. Walter does most of the talking. They leave the buidling society without money because they don't have any ID and don't know the PIN number.
12:24pm
Court being shown CCTV footage of Lee Wareham arriving at the flat at 9.04am.
At 9.16am CCTV shows Mr Reed leaving his flat and returning at 10.30am.
12:18pm
On morning of June 7, 2012 - 8.33am Geoffrey Reed leaves flat in Cecil Road, heads towards the Precinct via Sea Road in Boscombe. He is making his way, alone, to the Nationwide Building Society.
12:15pm
Jury are now looking through CCTV images which will be shown during the trial.
12:13pm
On March 21, 2012, Stuart Wareham made a 999 call to the police reporting a gang had beaen Mr Reed because he was a 'paedophile'.
"We say Stuart Wareham was telling a great many lies in that phone call."
12:11pm
PROS: Motives for killing Mr Reed was to take whatever money he had but also because he was a convicted sex offender.
12:09pm
In March 2012 Stuart Wareham discovered paperwork which revealed that Geoffrey Reed was a convicted sex offender.
It disclosed that Reed had been convicted of four counts of rape on two victims. Both the victims were vulnerable and one of them was a child.
On March 21, 2012, Stuart Wareham spoke to a woman about Reed and is said to have told her that he "hated Reed for what he had been in prison for".
12:06pm
Attempts were also made to get money out of Mr Reed's bank account on June 9, 2012.
One of the reasons for killing Mr Reed was to take whatever money they could from him. On the day of his death it was £2.56.
On release from the prison Mr Reed stayed at St Paul's hostel. Stuart Wareham was also staying at the hostel at that time.
11:56am
On the day he was killed Mr Reed made two visits to the Nationwide Building Society in Christchurch Road, Boscombe, with Benjamin Walter.
The defendant wanted to get whatever money he could out of Mr Reed's bank account.
11:53am
Mr Reed was receiving benefits and was due to receive £220 into his building society account on June 8, 2012. The prosecution say he was killed the day before.
The money didn't get credited until June 18, 2012.
11:51am
By November 2011 Geoffrey Reed was homeless after being released from prison.
He had been sentenced in 2002 to 10 years in prison for sex offences.
He was released on licence in July 2008 but breached the terms of his parole and was recalled back to prison in September 2009.
He was released in November 2011.
11:44am
Stuart Wareham and Benjamin Henry Walter were living at the flat with Mr Reed along with two others. Lee Wareham visited the flat a few times.
11:38am
Now they are being shown images of the inside of the flat, the entrance door.
The living area shows an armchair, sofa, a mattress on the floor, kitchen area. Not only were a number of people living there but also some dogs.
Images of the bedroom are also being shown to the court.
11:36am
Jury are also looking through photos of the outside of the property, the alleyway, the back of the property, and a passageway.
11:34am
Jury are now being shown photos of the bathroom and marks on the outside of the bath.
11:32am
Jury are looking through maps of the area and plans of Mr Reed's flat in Cecil Road.
11:29am
There are two CCTV cameras in the communal entrance to the block of flats.
11:28am
15 Cecil Road contains 7 small flats on three floors.
Mr Reed lived on the ground floor in a one-bedroom flat.
11:23am
Geoffrey Reed lived at flat 2, 15 Cecil Road in Boscombe.
He hadn't lived there long - perhaps only a couple of months.
11:22am
Defendants Stuart Wareham and Lee Wareham are half-brothers.
Benjamin Walter, known as Henry Walter, is a friend, particularly Stuart's.
11:19am
PROS: Geoffrey Reed was 57, 5ft 8ins and weighed 8 stones.
He wasn't in the best of health and some people who knew him described him as having the appearance of a frail old man.
11:17am
PROS: On the day of June 7 last year Geoffrey Reed was murdered in his home.
His body was then taken 13 miles or so in a suitcase in the back of a car to a shallow grave in the woods at Lytchett Matravers, west of Poole.
11:13am
Prosecutor Timothy Mousley QC is now going to open the case.
11:01am
Jury selection is now underway.
10:41am
Good morning Paula Roberts reporting from Winchester Crown Court.