Man accused of murder made 'inept' bid to burn car

DEFENCE MAKE CLOSING SPEECHES AS JURY LOOKS SET TO RETIRE TODAY

- By DAVID HUNTLEY

A JURY has been told that an attempt to burn out a car by a man accused of murder following a fatal shooting was “pathetically inept”.

Barry Dawson died after he was shot through a downstairs window of his terraced house in South Moor, Stanley, County Durham, on April 5 this year. Emergency services rushed to Elm Street but nothing could be done to save the 60-year-old.

Five men have been standing trial at Teesside Crown Court charged with his murder, which they all deny.

The defendants are Kevin Dorward, 38, of New Durham Road, Stanley; Thomas Lee Sterling, 22, of The Avenue, Stanley; Kelvin Craig Lawson, 37, of Frosterley Gardens, Stanley; Keith Edward Dorward, of no fixed address, and Sean Reay, 30, of Sabin Terrace, Stanley.

A sixth defendant, Michaela Hetherington, 35, of South View Gardens, Annfield Plain, Stanley, was also standing trial accused of perverting the course of justice. She has now changed her plea to guilty.

Yesterday, the final closing speeches of the trial were given by the barristers. John Elvidge KC, defending Keith Dorward, told jurors the 38-year-old was not within Sean Reay’s “circle” and that there is no evidence to suggest he was a “trusted and close friend” of Reay’s.