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Nicola Payne murdered after being abducted crossing wasteland, trial hears Nicola Payne murdered after being abducted crossing wasteland, trial hears
(35 minutes later)
A teenage mother was murdered after being abducted as she made her way across waste ground shortly before Christmas almost 25 years ago, a court has heard.A teenage mother was murdered after being abducted as she made her way across waste ground shortly before Christmas almost 25 years ago, a court has heard.
Eighteen-year-old Nicola Payne, whose body has never been found, is alleged to have been killed by Nigel Barwell, now 51, and his brother-in-law, Thomas O’Reilly, now 50. Nicola Payne, 18, whose body has never been found, is alleged to have been targeted by Nigel Barwell, now 51, and his brother-in-law, Thomas O’Reilly, now 50, while she walked to her parents’ home in Coventry.
Opening the crown’s case against the two men, who both deny murder, prosecutor Andrew Smith QC said the young mother was making what should have been a five-minute walk to her parents’ address in Coventry. Opening the case against the two men, who both deny murder, prosecutor Andrew Smith QC said advances in DNA technology meant hair found in a tent belonging to Barwell could now be linked to Payne.
Smith told a jury at Birmingham crown court on Monday: “At about 12.15pm on Saturday 14 December 1991 Nicola Payne left her partner and baby son to walk to her parents’ house. It was a familiar journey that should have taken only a matter of minutes. Smith told a jury at Birmingham crown court: “At about 12.15pm on Saturday 14 December 1991, Nicola Payne left her partner and baby son to walk to her parents’ house. It was a familiar journey that should have taken only a matter of minutes.
“The route took her across a local piece of waste ground known as the Black Pad. It was a journey that she never completed. The prosecution case is that Nicola Payne was abducted as she walked across the waste ground. At some point thereafter she was murdered and her body disposed of.”“The route took her across a local piece of waste ground known as the Black Pad. It was a journey that she never completed. The prosecution case is that Nicola Payne was abducted as she walked across the waste ground. At some point thereafter she was murdered and her body disposed of.”
Jurors were told that Barwell, of Copperas Street, and O’Reilly, of Ribble Road, both Coventry, were both 27 in December 1991. The court heard that Barwell once “tried it on with” Payne at a pub called the Red Lion in Coventry.
Suggesting that the motive for the attack could have been sexual, Smith said: “The prosecution cannot say with certainty what the precise motive was for abduction, however the conversation in the Red Lion pub and [the presence of the hair] in the tent sustains the conclusion that a sexual motive may have lain behind the ultimately fatal attack.”
Payne had left her seven-month-old son with her boyfriend, Jason Cooke, so she could visit her parents, John and Marilyn. It was a foggy, cold day.Payne had left her seven-month-old son with her boyfriend, Jason Cooke, so she could visit her parents, John and Marilyn. It was a foggy, cold day.
The prosecution alleges that dog-walker Patrick Carter – whose regular route skirted the Black Pad – heard a scream shorty after seeing a figure hiding in bushes near a school. The prosecution alleges that dog-walker Patrick Carter, whose regular route skirted the Black Pad, heard a scream shortly after seeing a figure hiding in bushes near a school.
Smith said “He [Carter] saw for a few seconds someone standing in a bush. At almost the same time that he saw the person, Mr Carter could hear a car engine close by.” Carter then walked through a gate, Smith said, and saw a metallic blue Ford Capri. Smith said: “He [Carter] saw for a few seconds someone standing in a bush. At almost the same time that he saw the person, Mr Carter could hear a car engine close by.” Carter then walked through a gate, Smith said, and saw a metallic blue Ford Capri.
The prosecutor added: “He was about 20 yards beyond the car when he heard a short, female scream. The scream came from the direction of the bushes where he had seen the figure hiding. A scream, the prosecution invite you to conclude, that came from Nicola Payne.”The prosecutor added: “He was about 20 yards beyond the car when he heard a short, female scream. The scream came from the direction of the bushes where he had seen the figure hiding. A scream, the prosecution invite you to conclude, that came from Nicola Payne.”
At the time Barwell had a distinctive blue 1980 Ford Capri fitted with alloy wheels, the jury was told. At the time, Barwell had a distinctive blue 1980 Ford Capri fitted with alloy wheels, the jury was told on Monday.
On the afternoon of 14 December, Smith said a woman called Louise Sambrook looked out of a window and saw Barwell’s car near a path leading to the river Sowe.On the afternoon of 14 December, Smith said a woman called Louise Sambrook looked out of a window and saw Barwell’s car near a path leading to the river Sowe.
“Standing either side of the boot were Nigel Barwell and Thomas O’Reilly,” said Smith. “Between them, partly on the lip of the boot, was what appeared to Miss Sambrook to be a full black bin bag. He said: “Standing either side of the boot were Nigel Barwell and Thomas O’Reilly. Between them, partly on the lip of the boot, was what appeared to Miss Sambrook to be a full black bin bag.
“The prosecution suggest that Miss Sambrook was in fact observing the groundsheet of a tent that contained the body of Nicola Payne.” “The prosecution suggest that Miss Sambrook was in fact observing the ground sheet of a tent that contained the body of Nicola Payne.”
The court heard Barwell and O’Reilly were initially arrested on 17 December 1991 but claimed they were 14 miles away in Rugby at the time Payne disappeared. The court heard Barwell and O’Reilly, from Coventry, were initially arrested on 17 December but claimed they were 14 miles away in Rugby at the time Payne disappeared.
The pair told police they went to Rugby on the Friday night and slept in their car in the town centre. They said the car then failed to start and they did not drive back until the early hours of Sunday 15 December 1991. The pair told police they went to Rugby on the Friday night and slept in their car in the town centre. They said the car then failed to start and they did not drive back until the early hours on Sunday 15 December. Smith told the court: “This is a false alibi created by the defendants.”
Smith said: “This is a false alibi created by the defendants.” The pair were rearrested in December 2013 and charged with murder in January this year. Smith said that five days after Payne vanished, a tent was found in undergrowth in Barwell’s garden. In 2014, when the tent was re-examined, hairs found in it were sent for analysis and, thanks to improved scientific techniques, could be linked to the missing woman.
The trial continues. The court heard Barwell and O’Reilly also allegedly confessed to murdering Payne to friends on two occasions. One friend, Matthew Brown, recalled Barwell saying something like: “We have killed Nicola Payne.” Barwell allegedly told another friend: ‘I wasn’t fucking about, I did that Payne bitch. You don’t know the half of it mate.”
They were charged with murder in January. The trial continues.