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Becky Watts jury set to retire to consider verdicts Becky Watts jury set to retire to consider verdicts
(about 1 hour later)
Jurors in the Becky Watts murder trial will retire to consider their verdicts on Wednesday after hearing evidence for a month.Jurors in the Becky Watts murder trial will retire to consider their verdicts on Wednesday after hearing evidence for a month.
Becky’s stepbrother Nathan Matthews and his partner Shauna Hoare are accused of murdering the 16-year-old, dismembering her body with a circular saw and hiding the remains in a garden shed.Becky’s stepbrother Nathan Matthews and his partner Shauna Hoare are accused of murdering the 16-year-old, dismembering her body with a circular saw and hiding the remains in a garden shed.
The 10 women and one man of the jury at Bristol crown court were told by the judge Mr Justice Dingemans that they must put emotion to one side when they consider the evidence. The 10 women and one man of the jury at Bristol crown court were told by the judge Mr Justice Dingemans that they must put emotion to one side when they considered the evidence.
He said: “When you come to consider your verdicts, you and you alone must do that on the evidence that has been presented to you. You must undertake that task of deciding the relevant facts without emotion.”He said: “When you come to consider your verdicts, you and you alone must do that on the evidence that has been presented to you. You must undertake that task of deciding the relevant facts without emotion.”
Matthews, 28, and Hoare, 21, are accused of plotting to abduct Becky to fulfil their fantasy of having sex with a petite teenage girl. Matthews has claimed he accidentally strangled the teenager when a plan to kidnap her, to “teach her a lesson” about her behaviour towards her stepmother, went wrong. Both Matthews and Hoare deny she had anything to do with the killing or the aftermath. Matthews, 28, and Hoare, 21, are accused of plotting to abduct Becky to fulfil their fantasy of having sex with a petite teenage girl. Matthews has claimed he accidentally strangled the teenager when a plan to kidnap her, to “teach her a lesson” about her behaviour towards her stepmother, went wrong. Matthews and Hoare both deny she had anything to do with the killing or the aftermath.
Matthews admits manslaughter, and Dingemans said that to convict him of murder, jurors must be sure that he unlawfully killed Becky while intending to kill her or to cause her serious harm. Matthews admits manslaughter and Dingemans said that, to convict him of murder, jurors must be sure that he unlawfully killed Becky while intending to kill her or to cause her serious harm.
To prove Hoare was guilty of murder, the judge said, the prosecution had to prove that she took some part in Becky’s kidnap.To prove Hoare was guilty of murder, the judge said, the prosecution had to prove that she took some part in Becky’s kidnap.
“There is only one way in which the prosecution can establish intent against Ms Hoare,” the judge said. “That is by proving that Ms Hoare participated or continued to participate in the kidnapping of Ms Watts, intending that Ms Watts should be killed or caused really serious bodily harm to overcome Ms Watts’ resistance, and that in the course of that attack Mr Matthews suffocated or strangled Ms Watts while intending to kill her or cause really serious bodily harm.”“There is only one way in which the prosecution can establish intent against Ms Hoare,” the judge said. “That is by proving that Ms Hoare participated or continued to participate in the kidnapping of Ms Watts, intending that Ms Watts should be killed or caused really serious bodily harm to overcome Ms Watts’ resistance, and that in the course of that attack Mr Matthews suffocated or strangled Ms Watts while intending to kill her or cause really serious bodily harm.”
Matthews, of Warmley, South Gloucestershire, denies murder and conspiracy to kidnap. He admits manslaughter, perverting the course of justice, preventing the burial of a corpse and possessing a prohibited weapon. Matthews, of Warmley, south Gloucestershire, denies murder and conspiracy to kidnap. He admits manslaughter, perverting the course of justice, preventing the burial of a corpse and possessing a prohibited weapon.
Hoare, of Bristol, denies murder, conspiracy to kidnap, perverting the course of justice, preventing burial of a corpse and possessing a prohibited weapon.Hoare, of Bristol, denies murder, conspiracy to kidnap, perverting the course of justice, preventing burial of a corpse and possessing a prohibited weapon.