A witness told a murder trial jury he went on two car journeys helping to dispose of bloodstained clothes and other items because he was in fear after learning of a friend’s death.
Chris Coles said he was at the home of another friend Lizzie Barker in Mitchell Avenue, Waterloo, Huddersfield when Joe Church and Aaron Smith arrived with blood on them last August.
He told Leeds Crown Court that Smith had stripped to his boxer shorts to wash and was given some other clothes to put on. After he dressed Lizzie asked what had happened.
Mr Coles said Aaron Smith replied: “We got Josh Hirst.”
Asked what they meant he said Smith described how they had called Mr Hirst over when he drove up saying “Josh, where’s your drugs.”
He said Smith said it was dark and Josh had asked “What” as he approached and that Church had grabbed him and they began struggling together until Mr Hirst broke free and started hitting Smith. “He said they traded punches between the three of them and he said then Joe slashed him. He said ‘didn’t you Joe’ who just muttered ‘ye, ye’.”
He said Church said after he slashed his back Mr Hirst turned and ran away shouting he had been stabbed.
Mr Coles said a short time later he learned in a message that Mr Hirst was dead. Later that night he went with Smith and Church in a car dumping clothing and other items where directed. He said he was not threatened but was in fear. “I did help these people because that’s what I felt I had to do that night.”
Church, 21, of Redlands Close, Mirfield, Smith, 19, of Saville Street, Emley, and Nadeem Rashid, 21, of Lapwing View, Horbury, Wakefield, each deny murdering Mr Hirst, 20, of Grove Street, Mirfield, and possessing an offensive weapon.
The trial continues.
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