Man beaten to death in front of his girlfriend

Nov 5 2008 by Hilary Clixby, The Journal

RAIDERS armed with pieces of wood launched a lethal attack on a teenager in front of his girlfriend, a murder trial jury was told yesterday.

Graeme Duncan and Kenneth Power forced their way into David Wilson’s home looking for property to steal it was alleged at Newcastle Crown Court.

But the pair came across Mr Wilson’s flatmate Ross Davidson when he went to investigate the noise coming from the back of the flat said Roger Farley, QC, prosecuting.

And the two men then launched a brutal attack on the 19-year-old who was hit repeatedly about the head and body with the sticks in front of his girlfriend, it was claimed.

Duncan, 22, of Norbury Grove, Byker, Newcastle, has already admitted murdering Mr Davidson at the flat in Grace Street, Byker, on March 23 this year.

A second man Steven Gilbert, 22, of St Anthony’s Road, Byker – whom the prosecution accept remained outside the flat – has admitted a count of conspiracy to rob Mr Wilson.

Power, 23, of Dunstanburgh Road, Byker, denies both the murder and conspiracy to rob charges.

Giving evidence, Mr Davidson’s girlfriend described how she had been with Mr Davidson watching television in the living room when he heard a noise and went into the kitchen to investigate.

She said she heard shouting and next saw Mr Davidson coming backwards into the living room followed closely by two men each armed with a plank of wood.

She said: “I didn’t know what to do. I was terrified.”

The 19-year-old said the men were hitting her boyfriend “repeatedly” with the wood, initially while he was standing up and then after he fell to the floor.

She said Mr Davidson did nothing to retaliate and had his hands to his face trying to protect himself. “I was shouting at them to stop,” she told the jury. She said one of the men did stop, moving to the television and pulling at the X-Box console. She said as the intruders left, one of them hit Mr Davidson over the head.

She added that she called for an ambulance and put Mr Davidson the recovery position: “I tried to help him breathe. He was breathing but he was choking,” she said.

Earlier the jury heard from Mr Wilson who was in his bedroom when the intruders burst into the flat.

Mr Wilson, who said he had known Mr Davidson – who worked as a brick layer – for eight or nine years, said property had been previously stolen from his flat and he believed “they knew it was an easy target”.

The trial continues today.