Murder trial hears DIY claim
A Shropshire man told detectives he was "high" on crack cocaine doing DIY at home when he is alleged to have murdered a father-of-two, a court heard. A Shropshire man told detectives he was "high" on crack cocaine doing DIY at home when he is alleged to have murdered a father-of-two, a court heard. Craig Dunn admitted to police he had been smoking illegal drugs with Neil Powell, pictured, into the early hours of the morning on the day Mr Powell was murdered but claimed he had left the newly wed safe at his family home. Dunn, of Willowfield, Woodside, Telford, denies murdering Mr Powell on April 29 last year. The hearing, at Stafford Crown Court, continues. Read the full story in today's Shropshire Star
Craig Dunn admitted to police he had been smoking illegal drugs with Neil Powell, pictured, into the early hours of the morning on the day Mr Powell was murdered but claimed he had left the newly wed safe at his family home.
Dunn, of Willowfield, Woodside, Telford, denies murdering Mr Powell on April 29 last year.
Dunn, 33, was first arrested by police as a "significant witness" but when Rebecca Headley, his fiancee, told officers he had confessed to the murder, detectives arrested him as a suspect.
Mr Powell was run over and stabbed more than 20 times at the side of the Ironbridge by-pass.
Stafford Crown Court has heard that forensic tests had shown it was Dunn's Fiat Bravo which was used to run Mr Powell over.
Yesterday, Detective Constable Mark Morton read out nine interviews between himself and Dunn.
During the interviews before he was charged, Dunn denied having anything to do with the murder of Mr Powell or any knowledge of it.
He told officers that he had visited Mr Powell at his home in Madeley twice during the evening before he was found at the side of the Ironbridge bypass.
He said they had both smoked "rocks", referring to crack cocaine, before Dunn drove the long way home to give himself time to "come down" before reaching home where he fitted some plasterboard and trunking.
He claimed he was unaware who had died until somebody told him the day after Mr Powell's death.
The jury heard Dunn had refused to comment during two interviews, before he changed his account during his sixth interview.
Dunn then told detectives that Kelvin Currens, who he said ran a "drug business" with Mr Powell, had asked to borrow his car on the night of the murder.
He told police he had left the keys inside the car after he got back from Mr Powell's house, so Mr Currens could just take it.
In interview, Dunn said: "I had a phone call from Kelvin to say he wanted to use the car or that he may have wanted to borrow it."
Dunn told police he found blood on his car when he got up on the day Mr Powell was murdered but, although he knew a body had been found, he did not "connect" the two incidents.
He said he "panicked" and had then driven around after he had heard who had been killed.
The jury heard Dunn claimed he only knew the details of the murder because Mr Currens had told him.
Dunn said that Mr Currens did not admit to doing it himself, but said "they" did it. He claimed Mr Currens gave him some drugs as "payment" for borrowing the car and told him to "get rid" of the car and the knife used to murder Mr Powell. A weapon has never been found.
Mr Currens, who was due to give evidence today, was seen on CCTV footage fighting with a nightclub doorman in Wellington at the time Mr Powell was murdered.
The hearing continues.
By Kirsty Marston
