THE trial of a former army sergeant accused of murdering his friend of 20 years ‘in cold blood’ is now well into its second week.
Daniel Shovelton, of Saffron Close in Longbarn, is currently standing trial at Liverpool Crown Court accused of the murder of 58-year-old Mark Bradbury.
A retiree who also worked odd jobs as a man with a van, and was also known by his nicknames of Henry or H, he was ‘battered to death’ at his home on Station Road South in Padgate on August 1 last year.
The prosecution alleges that cocaine addict Shovelton was ‘desperate’ for drugs and money, having been sacked from his job as a courier with DPD for theft and been more than £50,000 of debt.
And he saw ‘doting’ dad Mr Bradbury – a ‘small time’ dealer who sold drugs in order to pay for his own habit – as the ‘answer to his problems’.
With the Crown Prosecution Service’s evidence conclude this morning, Thursday, and the case for the defence beginning, here is some of the key evidence heard in court over the past week.
The ‘magical mystery tour’
On Tuesday and Wednesday this week, jurors were read a transcript of Shovelton’s interviews while in police custody.
He was first arrested on suspicion of murder in September 2019, and told officers that he had spent the day of Mr Bradbury’s death at home ‘wallowing in self pity’.
Shovelton, 40, said: “It was just like every other day, merging into nothingness.”
The dad was then released under investigation before being detained against in March this year.
By this time, Cheshire Police had obtained CCTV footage of the defendant at Tesco Extra on Winwick Road shortly after Mr Bradbury’s death and tracked his mobile phone to Winwick Quay, Grappenhall and the Woolston Grange industrial estate over the following hours.
He had failed to mention what he branded his ‘magical mystery tour’ to the police previously.
The prosecution has alleged that he disposed of evidence during this trip.
Shovelton said: “I don’t know what to say about it, it’s not at the front of my mind why I’d have gone there.
“I don’t remember a great deal – I drove there automatically on autopilot, bought what I bought and headed home.
“My mind is like a motorway and I can’t stop a vehicle to see what memory is in that vehicle – I feel like that all the time, it’s hard for me to grasp any thoughts.
“I cannot remember what my mental state was like or if I stupidly had a drink prior to going to Tesco.
“It just looks erratic – I can’t remember why I went to these places.”
Shovelton was charged with murder following this second set of interviews, a count that he denies.
‘A sustained and violent assault’
The jury also heard more details about the ‘brutal’ attack on Mr Bradbury from expert witnesses on Monday.
Home Office pathologist Dr Jonathan Medcalf discovered during his post-mortem examination that the deceased had suffered a fractured bone in his windpipe in the assault.
This indicated that he had been strangled or throttled with a ligature.
Dr Medcalf – who concluded that Mr Bradbury had died as a result of head and neck injuries – also described ‘significant blunt force injuries’ to the head, as well as extensive bruising to the torso and ‘defensive’ injuries to the hands and arms.
He told the court: “In my opinion, this man was clearly the victim of a sustained and violent assault, with several blows to the head and neck compression or strangulation.”
Forensic scientist Jane Roughley meanwhile found that Mr Bradbury was assaulted in the area between his bed and wardrobe while lying on the floor or crouched down low.
He had been ‘on the bed bleeding profusely’ before ‘bleeding out’ at the foot of the bed, where his body was found.
Bloody footprints at the foot of the bed and on the bedding indicated that the attacker may have been stood with one foot on the bed while reaching into the loft hatch above.
The loft hatch
Shovelton said under interview that he believed Mr Bradbury stored his drugs in this area, but could not remember if he had ever been into the loft.
He told police: "I think sometimes when I was in the corridor of his flat, I heard him go up there.
"I don't know what he used it for, I can only assume he maybe kept his drugs up there.
"If I'm going round to get some drugs and he's saying just wait there a second and he's going up there, I just put two and two together.
Blood on the car keys
Mark Bradbury’s blood was found on a set of car keys discovered in a cupboard in the entrance hallway of Shovelton’s home.
The defendant was using this vehicle, his parents’ Kia Ceed, at the time as his mum and dad were on holiday in Turkey.
Asked about this under interview, he said: "I can't recall seeing Henry with any sort of physical injuries, but I used to go into his flat into the toilet after work hours.
"I'd throw my keys on the sink.
"I don't know, that's only one way I can think how any sort of blood got onto the key."
Caught on CCTV
This Kia Ceed was seen on CCTV approaching Mr Bradbury’s home only minutes after his last phone contact.
The vehicle remained in the area for just shy of three hours.
Shovelton told police he did not remember being there, saying: "I haven't really got an explanation for going down there.
"I'm trying to piece a lot of that weekend together, but I can't – I can't explain why I wouldn't have mentioned that.
"I can't tell you what I'm doing if I don't recall it.
"If I could regurgitate memories and justify why I was there I would tell you, but I can't because I can't remember."
Online activities
Meanwhile, detective constable Emily Cole yesterday told jurors that Shovelton accessed or searched for the Warrington Guardian website 138 times between August 3 and 19 2019.
No previous similar activity was recorded on his phone in the period analysed, which dated back to October 2017.
Prosecutors allege that he was checking the news in order to find out whether Mr Bradbury's body had been discovered and subsequently 'researching' the investigation.
He also Google the name of detective inspector Sarah Oliver, who led Cheshire Police’s enquiries into the incident.
The trial continues, and is due to run until late next week.
You can recap on our daily live blogs from the courtroom here:
For a full report from the prosecution’s opening of the case last week, click here.
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