Duo accused of murdering much loved dad

Duo standing trial accused of murdering 'much-loved father and grandfather' in Wheatley Hill

Harvey Hughes, 20, and a 17-year-old youth are accused of murdering 46-year-old Ross Connelly 

Ross Connelly who has been described as a "a much-loved father and grandfather" in a tribute from his family

Ross Connelly who has been described as a "a much-loved father and grandfather" in a tribute from his family (Image: Durham Constabulary)

A man and a youth are standing trial accused of murdering a much loved father by brutally beating him with a weapon.

Harvey Hughes, 20, and a 17-year-old youth - who cannot be named for legal reasons - are accused of murdering 46-year-old Ross Connelly in County Durham. The pair are currently standing trial at Newcastle Crown Court, each facing a charge of murder. They are also jointly accused of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, relating to another man, which they deny.

Hughes, of Peterlee, but currently of no fixed address, also faces a charge of making a threat to kill, which he denies. A third defendant, Millie Bradley, 19, of Beech Grove, Trimdon Grange, is also standing trial accused of assisting an offender. She denies the charge.

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On the first day of the trial on Wednesday, prosecutor Nicholas Lumley KC, said the alleged grievous bodily harm offence happened on April 30 this year, when the pair were armed with a metal bar and "set about" a man in a street. He said: "It was completely unprovoked and thought they were somehow justified because of where he lived at the time. While there was a threat to kill him, that didn't happen."

The jury heard that in the early hours of the next morning on May 1, the pair then "targeted" Mr Connelly at his Wheatley Hill home. Mr Lumley said: "They went to the home of Ross Connelly and beat him with such force that his life couldn't be saved and he was killed. They are both charged with murder."

The jury heard that Hughes, and the youth were often seen together driving around in a Ford Transit van. A day before the alleged murder, the pair were in Shotton Colliery when they encountered a man walking down a street. Mr Lumley told the jury that when Hughes discovered the man was living at a nearby hostel, he told him: "Only nonces and paedophiles stay there."

Mr Lumley said he was "picking on him and picking a fight". A scuffle then broke out and the man came off worse before heading back to the hostel. The jury was told Hughes told the man he would "f****** kill him" and the man did not report the incident to police.

The jury was told that the following day, the youth defendant decided to "confront" Mr Connelly, and went to his home along with Hughes and others.

Mr Lumley said on the journey there, "they collected a weapon of the type used in the street earlier". It was later that the alleged murder took place.

Following the death of Mr Connelly, his family released a statement where they paid tribute to his "wicked sense of humour". In a statement released in May, they said: "We are devastated by the loss of Ross, who was a much-loved father and grandfather.

"He will be remembered as a man who loved his football, music, and had a wicked sense of humour. We request privacy at this time to allow us space to grieve."

The trial continues.