Body buried at Dudley Zoo, murder trial told

A jury was told that David Harrison, who denies murdering Richard Deakin, became nervous when he saw workmen at the zoo and said he had dug a grave there for someone he had killed.

Alan Cash outlined to a court a catalogue of crime Harrison claimed he had committed over the 12 months that he knew him.

Appearing as a witness via video link at Birmingham Crown Court yesterday, Mr Cash said Harrison told him about meeting a drugs dealer in Cradley Heath. He added: "The man gave Harrison the drugs and £20,000 at his house and then threatened he would grass on him so Harrison said he shot him in the head with a crossbow."

On another occasion, when the pair were stopped by traffic lights approaching Dudley Zoo, Cash said Harrison started 'ranting and swearing' on seeing workmen there.

Cash said: "He said he had dug a grave and put a body there of somebody he had killed. He was worried the workmen would have found it and then he would get the blame for it."

The witness said Harrison had also loaned him money to buy a motorbike and told him, if he wanted the debt to be written off, he could act as his driver when he went to shoot another man, Michael Reegan.

Harrison provided a passport-sized photo of his target in Solihull and claimed it came from a police computer. He even asked Cash to stash a sawn-off shotgun in his garage ahead of the hit, the court heard.

They made three visits to stake out Reegan's house, adapting the route to avoid any cameras, and also taking batteries and SIM cards out of mobile phones to avoid being traced.

After the weapon was given to him though, Cash said he called police.

The jury was also told that Cash visited a house near a travellers' site in Lower Gornal on four separate occasions to build up a picture of the owner's movements, ahead of a planned burglary of diamonds and money.

On each occasion Harrison wore blue latex gloves, such as those worn in hospitals, Cash said, or black leather gloves. He also wore a black balaclava. Cash said Harrison only had one tooth so the mouthpiece was sewn up so he was not recognisable.

Harrison, aged 63, of Rainbow Street, Bilston, is accused of shooting father-of-two Mr Deakin in his bed at his Medway Street home, Burntwood, on July 5, 2010. Darryl Dickens, 34, of Powell Place, also in Bilston, is accused of driving the getaway car.

Both deny murder. The trial continues.