'No evidence' Wigan dad Christopher Hughes raped teenager before his brutal murder

The nine men on trial for the murder and kidnapping of Christopher Hughes believed he was responsible for the knife-point rape of a teenage girl.

But in his closing speech John Elvidge, KC, prosecuting, said when the rape victim’s clothing was forensically examined, it showed “the semen did not come from Christopher Hughes”.

He was allegedly punched to the ground and bundled into the boot of an Audi A4 by Curtis Balbas and Erland Spahiu, then driven to an isolated spot where he was fatally attacked with at least two knives.

Balbas, 30, of Matheson Drive, Worsley Hall, admitted the kidnapping and during the trial changed his plea to guilty to murder.

Spahiu, 34, formerly of Uppingham, Skelmersdale but now of White Moss Road South, Skelmersdale – the road where Mr Hughes’ body was found four days after the attack – denies both those charges.

Alongside him in the dock at Liverpool Crown Court denying the same offences are his cousin Erion Voja, 21, of Peall Road, Croydon, London; Martin Smith, 34, of Greenwood Avenue, Wigan: Andrius Uzkuraitis, 27, of Holly Road, Worsley Hall; Dean O’Neill-Davey, 30, of Conrad Close, formerly of Bulteel Street, Wigan; Mohammed Razgar, 40, of Plane Avenue, Worsley Hall; Alan Jaf, 52, of Ridyard Street, Worsley Hall, and Khalil Awla, 48, of Greenwood Avenue, Worsley Hall.

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

Mr Elvidge said that at the time of his death, on February 18, Mr Hughes was “perhaps not in the best time of his life and his lifestyle had taken a turn for the worse”.

He said he had been using drugs, but some of the defendants also used drugs.

Mr Hughes told friends on the day of his death that he was aware of rumours he had attacked a girl, “rumours the defendants believed.”

“There is no evidence that he raped her. There is no evidence that she ever knew him or identified him. He said to his friend and family this was nothing to do with him.

“None of that mattered to the defendants who simply sought retribution. Rather than allow the police to investigate, they acted as vigilantes. They were not interested in handing him over to the police so evidence could be submitted for consideration,” said Mr Elvidge.

He said the kidnapping and murder were “inextricably linked” and he was taken so that “at very least really serious harm could be done to him".

Mr Elvidge described the 90-plus injuries inflicted on Mr Hughes as “grim” and said, “It must have been an excruciating ordeal”.

He had injuries to his head, face, neck, torso, buttocks, hands, leg, ankle and intimate parts of his anatomy which could only have been reached by opening his legs, said the prosecutor.

Defensive injuries showed “he had been fighting for his life but he had been overwhelmed by his attackers… and died shortly after the attack.”

Members of the gang spent the previous day trying to find Mr Hughes.

Mr Elvidge said: “This was not a random kidnap or killing, he was a wanted man. These acts were planned and carried out ruthlessly when the opportunity present itself.

“Once he was found, he was driven out of Wigan at speed and fatally assaulted, all done in less than an hour.”

The case continues.