Part of the prosecution case in the trial of accus

Part of the prosecution case in the trial of accused
double murderer Benjamin Laing has been likened to a scene from
the comedy film ‘The Lady Killers.

‘
Laing, said to have slayed Alison Manwaring and her
father Matthew, would never have carried a ‘murder tool kit’
in a guitar case, said Mr Anthony Scrivener, QC, defending.

Counsel claimed the idea of him walking around with the
case concealing the tools for his evil deeds in the deaf of
night was reminicient of the Ealing comedy classic.

‘You remember the film ‘The Lady Killers’ with Alec
Guinness and Peter Sellers?’ Mr Scrivener asked the Old Bailey
jury.

‘They kept their guns in violin cases.

They looked a
very humourous procession indeed.

‘
‘Because, if you were setting out to murder someone
would you put the tools in a guitar case on a dark night?’
‘No – you would use a black bag.

‘
Laing has claimed that his best friend Mark Lesley
carried his weapons in such a holdall when he slayed the innocent
daughter and father.

But the Crown allege that Laing has implicated his best
friend in a last ditch attempt to save his own skin.

Prosecutor Mr Michaal Stuart-Moore, QC, said Laing had
the case in the back of his car when he visited the Manwaring’s
home in Aldersey Gardens, Barking.

Counsel said the case enabled him to smuggle the instruments
of death into the home.

‘That is how he got them through the front door.

He carried
everything in his guitar case.

‘The guitar case would be seen as very normal.

You may think
it was what Laing used to carry his awful kit in.

‘
Mr Stuart-Moore has alleged that the case contained a
12 bore self-loading shotgun, surgeons gloves, handcuffs, cutting
instruments and black bags to dispose of the dismembered bodies.

Firearms residue was later traced in the case and blood stains
were also discovered but they could not be grouped.

Mr Scrivener earlier told the jury that Alison had probably been
bound by her ankles in addition to her wrists being handcuffed.

Dismembering the bodies would have taken the killer at least
two hours and would have left the evil butcher covered in blood,
added counsel.

Laing, 25, of East Ham Manor Way, Beckton, denies both murders
on April 23 last year.

The jury is expected to retire tommorow (Weds) to consider
their verdicts.

The trial continues.

ENDS