Murder trial halted after suspect unable to keep giving evidence

A MAN accused of murder after a nan was shot dead in her own home was unable to continue giving his evidence.

- By ADAM EVERETT

Mum-of-six and grandma-of-five Jackie Rutter died aged 53 after being shot in the chest on the doorstep of her own home on Meadowbrook Road in Moreton, Wirral.

Four men; Simon Allen, James Byrne, Barrie Glynn and David Harrison, are currently on trial at Liverpool Crown Court accused of her murder. A fifth defendant, Anna McGinn, is charged with assisting an offender.

The attack was apparently motivated by a "robbery" in which Ms Rutter's sons Peter and Steven reportedly stole a mobile phone which Byrne and another man, Preston Connolly, had been using to conduct their drug dealing business. These two men were then said to have carried out the shooting the following day as Glynn acted as their getaway driver.

Allen meanwhile torched the stolen car used by killers, having seemingly performed reconnaissance missions on key locations earlier the same evening, with Harrison's home allegedly used as a base of operations.

Having begun giving evidence on Thursday, Allen continued to be questioned yesterday. He described how he and Byrne had visited the area of Garden Hey Road, where the Vauxhall Insignia used in the shooting would later be burnt out, on the evening of October 29, 2022.

Allen said of this earlier car trip: "He wanted to show me where he wanted me that night. I think it was the day before, leaving David Harrison's, James Byrne says 'tell Barry to call me, I need you and Barry tomorrow night'."