London - Three men lured a convicted child-killer to a flat and stabbed him more than 150 times after threatening to ‘chop him up and put him down the plughole’, a court heard on Thursday.
David Gaut, 54, was allegedly killed by David Osborne, 51, Ieuan Harley, 23, and Darran Evesham, 47, days after they found out he had served more than 32 years in jail for murdering his girlfriend’s son, toddler Chi Ming Shek, in 1985.
Gaut’s body was discovered in his flat in New Tredegar, Caerphilly, South Wales, on August 4 last year, Newport Crown Court heard. Ben Douglas-Jones QC, prosecuting, told the jury that the trio jointly murdered Gaut in Osborne’s flat.
A post-mortem examination found Gaut was stabbed more than 150 times before his death, and a further 26 times after death. His fingernails had also been cut off.
Experts concluded at least two weapons were used in the alleged attack. A bloodstained screwdriver was found in the dressing gown Gaut was wearing and a knife was discovered on Osborne’s draining board.
The group then dragged his body back to Gaut’s flat, before attempting to cover their tracks, Mr Douglas-Jones said. He added: "The murder was brutal and involved gratuitous violence. Immediately after the murder, all three men, the prosecution say, played an active part in moving the body of Mr Gaut back to his own home."
Osborne, Harley and Evesham all deny murdering Gaut between August 1 and August 4 last year. Harley and Evesham also deny a charge of perverting the course of justice, which Osborne admits.
The court heard that Gwent Police received a 999 call from a man called Michael Lewis reporting a conversation he had allegedly overheard between the defendants. The police went to Gaut’s flat and launched a murder inquiry after discovering his bloodstained body.
On the night the prosecution say Gaut died, two neighbours of Osborne – Samantha Jenkins and Kyle Alford – went to his flat and spoke to him and Harley. The prosecutor said: "They talked about having researched David Gaut... on the internet. They had found out that he had killed a 15-month-old boy named Chi Ming Shek. David Osborne said he wanted to confront Mr Gaut about it. Ieuan Harley became irate and was even more specific. He wanted to “chop him up and put him down the plughole”.’
Mr Douglas-Jones told the jury they should not let Gaut’s conviction impact their decision, saying: "A murder carried out to punish someone is as much a murder as a murder carried out for no reason."
The trial continues.