A Shropshire man alleged to have been killed by triple murder suspect Robin Ligus was found dead in a house which showed no sign of “forcible entry”, a court heard.

Sergeant Michael Keen said he had to smash a window to gain entry to Brian Coles’s house on October 14, 1994. It followed calls from Mr Coles’s neighbours concerned for his safety as he had not collected milk and papers from his doorstep for days.

Mr Keen made the claims at a trial at Birmingham Crown Court today. Ligus, 59, is charged with the murders of Mr Coles, Trevor Bradley and Bernard Czyzewska, who all died within the space of seven months in 1994.

Mr Keen, said: “There was no sign of forcible entry from what I could see. All the windows were closed, sealed up and in tact. But we could see someone on the floor looking from outside the lounge area.”

Mr Keen said he managed to gain entry to the house in Heathwood Road in Higher Heath, near Whitchurch, by breaking and entering through a window at the side of the house and said his inspection inside showed no sign of anyone breaking in or out.

He said he searched the house with another officer and found Mr Coles in his living room lying on the floor with two heavily bruised eyes and a large pool of blood under his head.

Mr Keen said Mr Coles’s fists were clenched and he had bruising to both knees.

He said: “My first impression was that this was a suspicious death.”

Mr Keen said they suspected “foul play” because of the injuries on Mr Coles and a number of items which had been disturbed in the room he was found in.

The court yesterday heard that the remains of Mr Bradley, a former antiques dealer from Ludlow, were so badly destroyed they almost went unnoticed.

Mr Bradley was found lying behind the front seats of his Vauxhall Nova car, in remote farmland in Melverley, between Oswestry and Shrewsbury after he was killed on April 26 1994.

The trial continues.

By Sam Pinnington