A DESPERATE couple carried out an elaborate plan to murder a debt collector who was pressurising them to pay back thousands of pounds, a court heard.
A jury at Liverpool Crown Court heard how former bouncer and debt collector Martin Ithell was shot and stabbed to death by lovers Scott Davidson, 23, and Rachael Horton, 19.
The pair who were living together in Frodsham have denied murdering the 49-year-old from Robinsons Croft, Great Boughton, Chester, whose body was discovered in the back of a car outside a police station.
Opening the case yesterday, prosecuting barrister Michael Chambers QC said: “As you have heard the defendants are jointly charged with the murder of Martin Ithell, a 49-year-old man at the address in which the defendants were renting.
“The defendant Davidson shot Martin Ithell to the chest in the area of the heart at close range with a shotgun and when Martin Ithell collapsed to the ground Horton stabbed him with a knife.
“The pathologist said either the shotgun or the stabbing caused the death. We say it doesn’t matter which caused the death because both defendants are responsible for the killing.
“At the time the defendants were in a relationship and were engaged to be married. They were renting a detached house. Although at the time Horton was not living there but in Little Sutton, she was still in a sexual relationship with Davidson.”
The court heard that in January Davidson borrowed a large amount of money from Martin Ithell and the amount, seen by the couple as a joint debt, was snowballing because of the high interest charge.
The pair’s first plan was to commit an armed robbery. They had already purchased a handgun, masks and gloves, but this plan came to nothing.
Mr Chambers said: “By early March the defendants were desperate. Martin Ithell was increasing the pressure to pay him back. It was clear from the texts that Horton saw this as a threat to their future. In desperation they decided to kill him.
“Things came to a head on Monday March 7. The defendants invited Martin Ithell to their house with the false pretence they had a large sum of money for him. The defendants’ plan was once Martin Ithell entered the house, Davidson would shoot him with a shotgun, which was already loaded.”
The court heard that Davidson and Horton would then load Mr Ithell’s body into his car and drive it to a remote location.
It is also claimed that the house the defendants were renting was expensive and they had bought an expensive car.
The defendants had already placed large plastic sheets around the house and bought paint to cover over blood. They had also purchased a new Vauxhall Astra car.
The car would be driven by Horton to meet up with Davidson. He would then torch the vehicle and Horton would drive him back at work in Chester for a late night shift so he had an alibi.
“But the plans went badly wrong. Firstly there was far, far more blood than they had anticipated. Secondly Martin Ithell had smelled a rat,” said Mr Chambers.
“He went to the house with two friends. Martin Ithell was wearing an earpiece so the friends could hear what was going on.
“Once Martin Ithell had gone inside they (the friends) heard a suggestion Davidson was wearing an overall and the then heard Martin Ithell say “Have you two been painting?, then the line went blank.
“We say this was because Martin Ithell had been shot immediately.
“The two friends, Paul Murphy and Tony O’Donnell saw the BMW owned by Martin Ithell being driven away by a male they did not recognise. The body was hidden in the back seat,” Mr Chambers added.
The court also heard that when Mr Ithell’s friends found the house he had gone to, they saw a large a quantity of blood on the doorstep.
The two went to a nearby police station for help.
Mr Chambers added: “Horton, who had been doing a clean-up, saw them outside. She must also have seen the police sergeant.
“She must have been aware the game was up.
“She called Davidson who went into a panic.”
It is alleged that Davidson got rid of the gun and started calling around his friends for help. At 2am that morning he turned himself in at Blacon police station.
“During the drive to the police station Horton said she had stabbed Ithell. However when she was subsequently interviewed she said she had lied to protect Davidson, she had not stabbed Ithell, Mr Chambers told the jury.
It is alleged Davidson had first said Horton did not stab Ithell but then changed his statement on Monday this week.
Mr Chambers added: “All of this paints the defendants as capable of being untruthful and manipulative when it suits them.”
The court heard Davidson was also involved in a relationship with another woman, although the two women did not know each other.
Mr Chambers said: “The police recovered hundreds of text messages which Horton had sent to Davidson. We say these text messages are very revealing both as to the nature of the relationship and the involvement of Horton with regard to Martin Ithell.
“We say right up to the end she (Horton) was besotted with Davidson and would do anything for him.
“The texts also suggest they (the defendants) were living in a fantasy world where they were pretending to already be married and have children. We say this is a clue as to how the defendants lost touch with reality.
“At the time, Horton had been in telephone sales in Connah’s Quay and Davidson had been working in a kennels until August 2010 and then he had casual work as a doorman in various public houses in Chester.”
Mr Chambers said both Davidson and Horton had spent a short amount of time in the army and had been trained to handle firearms.
At the time of the alleged murder Davidson had also been taking steroids and was found to have the substance in his urine when tested. Police also found needles inside the house.
The court heard Davidson’s father, from nearby Elton, owned seven shotguns and ammunition and one of them was allegedly used to shoot Mr Ithell.
It was not clear how much money the couple owed but some of it had been used to buy a new car costing £3,500.