Summing up begins in Robin Ligus murder case
Monday 11th July 2011, 8:00PM BST.
A High Court judge today began summing up in the trial of a Shropshire man accused of murdering three county men.
Robin Ligus, 59, formerly of Shrewsbury, is accused of murdering Trevor Bradley, Brian Coles and Bernard Czyzewska, who were found dead in 1994.
He is serving a life sentence for murdering pensioner Robert Young but is unfit to plead to the latest charges. Mr Justice Colman Treacy told the jury at Birmingham Crown Court they could not find Ligus either guilty or not guilty, but should deliver a verdict of case proved or not proved. The jury is expected to retire to consider its verdict tomorrow.
“You are completely independent of me and it is for the 12 of you to come to a decision based on the facts in the case,” said Mr Justice Treacy. “You should guard against a knee-jerk reaction that he has murdered once and must have murdered again.
“Mr Ligus does not have to prove his innocence. It is for the prosecution to prove he did each act on the indictment.”
He added there were two issues for the jury to consider on each count, including whether the person named was unlawfully killed and whether Ligus was responsible.
Mr Bradley’s body was found in a burnt-out car in Melverley, near Oswestry, in April 1994. In the October Mr Coles was found dead in his home near Whitchurch, while in November Mr Czyzewska’s body was found in the River Severn. The trial continues.
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