Earls Barton murder accused 'asked friend to dispose of coat', trial hears

The man accused of murdering his ex-wife in Earls Barton asked a close friend to dispose of a coat shortly afterwards, a court has heard.

Michael Reader, 70, is currently on trial at Northampton Crown Court over the shooting of 63-year-old grandmother Marion Price in Packwood Crescent on December 15 last year.

Yesterday (Wednesday) for the first time jurors were told of the issues the defence teams will set out in their case for the acquittal of Reader and his close friend Stephen Welch, 61, who is also charged with murder over his alleged role before and after the shooting.

The prosecution's case is that Reader was a man 'obsessed with money' and tracked Marion's movements before shooting her. They allege that Welch helped him in the planning of it by changing the battery on a tracker and then picking him up and disposing of Reader's clothes in the River Nene afterwards.

John Cammegh QC, defending Welch, told jurors they will hear that Reader, of Booth Rise in Northampton, had asked Welch to pick him up near Quarry Park Garage in Moulton and asked him to dispose of a coat.

Welch, Mr Cammegh said, then drove to Pitsford Reservoir but found the entrance locked because it was in the evening and instead drove to the River Nene on the south of Northampton, dropping the coat in foliage near the bank.

The court heard Welch had asked Reader if "everything was okay" and Reader said it was.

Mr Cammegh told jurors they are likely to hear evidence from Welch, who spent a lot of time at Reader's home playing snooker and watching TV.

He alleges that, after Reader broke up with Welch, he appeared to be jealous of his former wife.

Mr Cammegh told jurors it is their case that Reader called Welch at 5.18pm, 20 minutes after the shooting, asked him to pick him up and then put the tracker in his glovebox and asked him to drive him home.

He said: "Was this in effect a pre-planned getaway to cover up a murder, or did Welch's actions amount to no more than picking Reader up from the garage?"

The court also heard an outline case from William Harbage QC, defending Reader, who accepted he bought a tracker and placed it on her car.

Mr Harbage told jurors they will hear he originally bought it to safeguard his own valuable soft-type Jaguar.

Then, the court heard, he decided to place it on Marion's car to find out her correct address after letters he sent her were returned, unopened.

The prosecution allege Reader "resented" being ordered to pay her £10,000, but Mr Harbage told jurors they will hear this was not true after Marion originally asked for £153,000.

He said: "We will hear evidence that Reader was rather relieved that he had to pay only a relatively modest amount, which was much less than Marion Price had been demanding."

Mr Harbage also told jurors they will hear evidence from Vanessa Darby, a witness who saw a man on a motorbike on the junction High Street and Manor Road before her murder.

The prosecution allege this was Reader but Mr Harbage said jurors will hear Ms Darby identified the bike rider as Welch on a second ID parade.

Mr Cammegh and prosecutor Mary Loram QC say she is mistaken.

Mr Harbage told jurors they will also call their own scientific expert who concluded support for the proposition that gunshot residue found on a jacket in Reader's home was linked to the gun used to kill Marion was "limited". The prosecution's case is that the support was stronger and classed as "moderate".

The bag with clothes found by the River Nene, which had no DNA on, also had toiletries in, the court heard. Mr Harbage said there was no evidence to link it to Reader and that it was a case of the prosecution "trying to fit evidence with a theory".

He said: "There is no scientific evidence to link the bag or its contents with Reader, or Welch, or Marion, or a bike, or to a shotgun, or to ammunition...are the prosecution really saying the gunman took a toothbrush and toothpaste with him and then had to dispose of it?"

The trial continues.