Paul Taylor accused had “murder on his mind” hours before Scots dad's death, court hears

Mr McLachlan began by saying to jury members that the criminal case “will live with you forever, for the rest of your days”.

A prosecutor has alleged that a teen killer had “murder on his mind” in the hours before Scots dad Paul Taylor “drove towards his death”, had his body burned and then dumped in bushes.

Jack Crawley, 20, is on trial at Carlisle Crown Court. Crawley admits manslaughter and that he unlawfully killed Mr Taylor, a 56-year-old married dad-of-two, in the early hours of October 18 last year. Crawley, then aged 19, denies his murder and also the attempted murder of a man aged in his 50s during a sexual encounter between the pair in York on January 5.

It is the prosecution case that Crawley used a hammer to attack Mr Taylor with at least 10 heavy blows to the head and face. Crawley says he used unlawful force to assault Mr Taylor — who hid a sexual interest in men from his family — during a botched car-jacking, and claims that death was caused as he fell and hit his head.

During the past fortnight, a jury of six men and six women have heard evidence in the case which concluded on Friday. After the trial judge, Mr Justice Goose, gave legal directions to jurors earlier today, prosecutor David McLachlan KC became the first of three barristers to deliver a closing speech in the case.

Mr McLachlan began by saying to jury members that the criminal case “will live with you forever, for the rest of your days”.

“This is a case about real people and real events,” said the prosecutor. “You are the jury in a murder trial, in relation to Carlisle, and an attempted murder trial in relation to York. When you say it simply, like that, you will appreciate that it really doesn’t get any more serious than that. You are not going to forget this.”

It was not a Netflix mini series featuring serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, nor a computer game — both of which had featured in trial evidence.

“It is about real people and about how lives can be destroyed and turned upside down by the actions of others,” said Mr McLachlan, who also told jurors: “What matters in this case is your view of the evidence and your common sense.”

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Evidence in the case, he alleged, pointed to a case of “premeditated murder”, and he suggested: “The case is that Jack Crawley had murder on his mind and he carried out that plan by killing Paul Taylor.”

CCTV footage showed Mr Taylor’s car leaving his family home in Annan bound for Carlisle. At exactly the same time, a phone alarm activated on the mobile phone of Crawley, of Sheehan Crescent, Carlisle, who several times that evening had listened to a song called Romantic Homicide on Spotify. The pair met soon after.

“In essence he drove towards his death,” the prosecutor alleged of Mr Taylor, adding: “The prosecution say that Paul Taylor was killed by multiple blows to the head by a hammer or hammer-type weapon which was being wielded by Jack Crawley.”

After speeches conclude, Mr Justice Goose will sum up evidence to jurors before they retire to start considering their verdicts.

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