'It does not matter which of them wielded a knife' - men alleged to have acted in joint enterprise in murder of Wigan dad Christopher Hughes

In his closing speech at Liverpool Crown Court, Razgar Mohammed’s barrister Francis Fitzgibbon, KC, said while there was “plenty” of suspicious behaviour, that did not mean Mohammed was guilty.

Mohammed, 40, of Plane Avenue, Worsley Hall, is one of eight men accused of murder, kidnapping and conspiracy to inflict grievous bodily harm.

His brother-in-law Curtis Balbas, 30, of Matheson Drive, Worsley Hall, has admitted the murder and kidnapping of Mr Hughes.

Mr Fitzgibbon claimed Mohammed, who ran Star Autos, was not present when 37-year-old dad Mr Hughes was kidnapped and bundled into the boot of a blue Audi.

He was also not there when Mr Hughes – who was wrongly suspected of a knifepoint rape of a teenage girl – was murdered, nor was he part of the burial party and involved in cutting up the car.

The nine defendants had allegedly been in a manhunt for Mr Hughes, before he was stabbed to death with at least two knives.

His body was found four days later, on February 22, on White Moss Road South, Skelmersdale.

John Elvidge, KC, prosecuting, said: “Each lent his assistance and encouragement to the others in support of their common objective. They may have played different roles in this joint enterprise, but they all acted with the intention that Christopher Hughes should suffer really serious bodily harm.

“It does not matter which of them wielded a knife. A defendant will be guilty of murder if either he inflicted the fatal injury or he intentionally encouraged or assisted another to do so, and at the time he acted, he intended that Christopher Hughes should be caused really serious bodily harm.”

Mr Fitzgibbon said: “The joint enterprise evidence does not reach the required standard…..the case against him is circumstantial.”

The KC representing Khalil Awla, Michael Brady, told the jury Balbas had murdered the victim in a “grotesque” way.

But he said Balbas had not been assisted by 48-year-old Awla, who is married to another of Balbas’ sisters and is co-owner of M6 Motors in Wigan, along with another defendant Dean O’Neill-Davey.

“We do not say he is entirely blameless. It is inevitable you will find his behaviour criminal but only in some details. His actions after the murder we accept amount to assisting an offender.

“His culpability does not extend to murder, manslaughter, kidnapping or conspiracy to do grievous bodily harm.”

Mr Brady said Awla, of Greenwood Avenue, Worsley Hall, provided significant information to the police when arrested.

He said Awla had been aware police knew about the rape, did not understand why they had not done anything and said he and others had been looking for evidence.

Also in the dock are: Erland Spahiu, 34, of White Moss Road South, Skelmersdale; O’Neill-Davey, 30, of Conrad Close, formerly of Bulteel Street, Wigan; Martin Smith, 34, of Greenwood Avenue: Andrius Uzkuraitis, 27, of Holly Road, Worsley Hall; Alan Jaf, 52, of Ridyard Street, Worsley Hall; Khalil Awla, 48, of Greenwood Avenue, Worsley Hall and Erion Voja, 21, of Peall Road, Croydon, London.

Michael Gibbons, 47, of Bulteel Street, Wigan, denies perverting the course of justice by providing false information to police and helping O’Neill-Davey dispose of the car.

The case continues.