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| Alleged killer of antiques dealer denies drawing up list of famous targets Alleged killer of antiques dealer denies drawing up list of famous targets | |
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| A man accused of murdering an antiques dealer after plotting to steal a rare first edition of The Wind in the Willows has told a jury that an unnamed man used his laptop and mobile phone to make a list of robbery and kidnap targets that included celebrities and prominent business figures. | A man accused of murdering an antiques dealer after plotting to steal a rare first edition of The Wind in the Willows has told a jury that an unnamed man used his laptop and mobile phone to make a list of robbery and kidnap targets that included celebrities and prominent business figures. |
| Michael Danaher, 50, is accused of attacking and killing Adrian Greenwood at the latter’s home in Oxford on 6 April, in an assault that left the rare-books dealer with more than 30 stab wounds. He denies murder. | Michael Danaher, 50, is accused of attacking and killing Adrian Greenwood at the latter’s home in Oxford on 6 April, in an assault that left the rare-books dealer with more than 30 stab wounds. He denies murder. |
| Oxford crown court previously heard that a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet entitled “Enterprises”, containing Greenwood’s name and those of Kate Moss and Jeffrey Archer among others, was found on Danaher’s laptop after the killing. Alongside the names were columns headed “modus” and “expected take”, and terms such as “ransom” and “stun”. | Oxford crown court previously heard that a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet entitled “Enterprises”, containing Greenwood’s name and those of Kate Moss and Jeffrey Archer among others, was found on Danaher’s laptop after the killing. Alongside the names were columns headed “modus” and “expected take”, and terms such as “ransom” and “stun”. |
| In addition, the court heard that Danaher’s laptop and phone had been used to research the home addresses of other prominent figures, including Eamonn Holmes, Gary Lineker and Louise Redknapp. | In addition, the court heard that Danaher’s laptop and phone had been used to research the home addresses of other prominent figures, including Eamonn Holmes, Gary Lineker and Louise Redknapp. |
| On Monday, Danaher, who is unemployed, denied he had drawn up the spreadsheet or carried out the web searches, instead blaming an unidentified man whom he said he would not name in court. | On Monday, Danaher, who is unemployed, denied he had drawn up the spreadsheet or carried out the web searches, instead blaming an unidentified man whom he said he would not name in court. |
| The man would come and go from Danaher’s Peterborough flat and use his laptop and mobile phone, the defendant told the jury. He said he had met the man in a pub in 2015, but that he would not say anything to help identify him. | The man would come and go from Danaher’s Peterborough flat and use his laptop and mobile phone, the defendant told the jury. He said he had met the man in a pub in 2015, but that he would not say anything to help identify him. |
| Asked why he would not name him, Danaher said he had been threatened in prison with “consequences” for him and his family if he disclosed the man’s identity. | Asked why he would not name him, Danaher said he had been threatened in prison with “consequences” for him and his family if he disclosed the man’s identity. |
| Danaher said it must have been this man who made the first celebrity search, for TV presenter Holmes’s address, on 30 June 2015. “The only person it could have been was him,” he told the court. | Danaher said it must have been this man who made the first celebrity search, for TV presenter Holmes’s address, on 30 June 2015. “The only person it could have been was him,” he told the court. |
| Asked by Amjad Malik QC, defending, why some of the searches were in the early hours of the morning, Danaher said: “He must have come round then. He seemed to keep odd hours.” | Asked by Amjad Malik QC, defending, why some of the searches were in the early hours of the morning, Danaher said: “He must have come round then. He seemed to keep odd hours.” |
| Danaher told the jury that in December 2015 he had bought a stun gun online, disguised as a mobile phone, because he had been afraid of the man after catching sight of the Enterprises document on the screen of his own laptop. | Danaher told the jury that in December 2015 he had bought a stun gun online, disguised as a mobile phone, because he had been afraid of the man after catching sight of the Enterprises document on the screen of his own laptop. |
| “It just looked like he was up to no good,” he told the court. He said he had asked the man about the document but was told it was none of his business. “He said I would get fucking hurt if I said anything to anyone.” | “It just looked like he was up to no good,” he told the court. He said he had asked the man about the document but was told it was none of his business. “He said I would get fucking hurt if I said anything to anyone.” |
| Similarly, it was the other man, said Danaher, who had been driving his car and using his mobile on 22 March this year, when both were recorded in Hampstead, north London, near the home of the Wonga investor and Conservative donor Adrian Beecroft, whose name also appeared on the Enterprises list. | Similarly, it was the other man, said Danaher, who had been driving his car and using his mobile on 22 March this year, when both were recorded in Hampstead, north London, near the home of the Wonga investor and Conservative donor Adrian Beecroft, whose name also appeared on the Enterprises list. |
| The jury previously heard that a man attempted to force his way into the Beecroft family home that day but was foiled when the businessman’s wife screamed for help. The prosecution says this man was Danaher. | The jury previously heard that a man attempted to force his way into the Beecroft family home that day but was foiled when the businessman’s wife screamed for help. The prosecution says this man was Danaher. |
| The accused told the court he had met Greenwood at an auction, perhaps in Henley, where he had gone to buy second hand books towards the end of 2015. | The accused told the court he had met Greenwood at an auction, perhaps in Henley, where he had gone to buy second hand books towards the end of 2015. |
| Greenwood had “piqued [his] interest” when he bought a crate of books, and the pair had got talking. | Greenwood had “piqued [his] interest” when he bought a crate of books, and the pair had got talking. |
| Danaher said: “He seemed very sociable. A nice guy. I just thought he obviously knew far more about it [buying books] than I did. He obviously knew his stuff.” | Danaher said: “He seemed very sociable. A nice guy. I just thought he obviously knew far more about it [buying books] than I did. He obviously knew his stuff.” |
| Danaher said some of the searches on his phone and laptop, into Greenwood’s addresses and business, had been made by him. This included multiple searches about The Wind in the Willows copy, which the jury heard Greenwood put on eBay in August 2015 for £50,000. The prosecution previously accused Danaher of targeting Greenwood because of this book, and of listing it on the auction site on the evening of his death after stealing it from his flat. | Danaher said some of the searches on his phone and laptop, into Greenwood’s addresses and business, had been made by him. This included multiple searches about The Wind in the Willows copy, which the jury heard Greenwood put on eBay in August 2015 for £50,000. The prosecution previously accused Danaher of targeting Greenwood because of this book, and of listing it on the auction site on the evening of his death after stealing it from his flat. |
| The defendant said he searched repeatedly for information about the dealer because he wanted to “learn from him”, and was “just looking to see how he was advertising things”. | The defendant said he searched repeatedly for information about the dealer because he wanted to “learn from him”, and was “just looking to see how he was advertising things”. |
| Asked by Malik if he had written “tosser” alongside Greenwood’s name in the Enterprises spreadsheet, he said: “Certainly not. I thought he was a nice guy. I didn’t have any problem with him at all.” | Asked by Malik if he had written “tosser” alongside Greenwood’s name in the Enterprises spreadsheet, he said: “Certainly not. I thought he was a nice guy. I didn’t have any problem with him at all.” |
| Danaher told the jury he had been severely overweight and about £13,000 in debt in about March or April this year, after his marriage broke up in 2012 and he lost his job at an engines company in Peterborough. | Danaher told the jury he had been severely overweight and about £13,000 in debt in about March or April this year, after his marriage broke up in 2012 and he lost his job at an engines company in Peterborough. |
| He had also been struggling mentally, he told the jury while fighting back tears, and had tried to kill himself. “I thought the place might be better off without me,” he said. | He had also been struggling mentally, he told the jury while fighting back tears, and had tried to kill himself. “I thought the place might be better off without me,” he said. |
| When his attempt failed, he said: “I thought I had better get myself in gear. It obviously wasn’t meant to be. I needed to get back out and take another chance.” | When his attempt failed, he said: “I thought I had better get myself in gear. It obviously wasn’t meant to be. I needed to get back out and take another chance.” |
| The trial continues. | The trial continues. |