Murder trial to begin this week after death of Wigan father-to-be Billy Livesley

Peter Connor, 32, of no fixed address, and Myles Connors, 26, of Layton Street Caravan Park, Layton Road, Preston, will appear before a judge and jury at Manchester Crown Court, at Crown Square.

Other news: Deer rescued after ending up in canal near Wigan PierThe pair both deny murdering 21-year-old Billy, from Platt Bridge, on Friday, December 28.

The trial, which begins tomorrow, is expected to last for 10 days.

Billy was found seriously injured on Bickershaw Lane, Abram, and was rushed to hospital for treatment, but died the following day at Salford Royal Hospital.

A post-mortem examination revealed the cause of his death was a significant head injury.

Billy’s death left both his family and the wider community in mourning.

His mother said he was “loved by everyone who knew him”, especially his brothers and his pregnant girlfriend Leah.

Thousands of pounds was raised to pay for his funeral and a shrine was created on Bickershaw Lane, featuring balloons, flowers and other tributes.

A massive procession, led by a horse-drawn carriage, motorbikes and quad bikes, brought Platt Bridge to a standstill as thousands of people turned out to pay their respects to the man with the “million dollar smile”.

Detectives investigating Billy’s death made a string of arrests, leading to Connor and Connors being charged with murder.

Jimmy Price, 22, formerly of Leaway, Ince, and now of The Broadwalk, in Otley, West Yorkshire, pleaded guilty earlier this month to perverting the course of justice and will be sentenced imminently.

No further action was taken against three men, aged 25, 26 and 58, who were arrested on suspicion of murder, along with a 22-year-old woman arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.

As part of the investigation, James Connor, 39, of Lily Lane, Bamfurlong, was arrested after an incident in a Platt Bridge takeaway two weeks after Billy’s death.

He admitted using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with intent to cause fear of or provoke unlawful violence.

He was given a 12-month conditional discharge and a restraining order forbidding him to contact Billy’s mother and two brothers for two years.