Bradley Wall Murder Trial: Accused says he was 'scared' of pal and told to dump paving slabs on the body
A man charged with murdering Bradley Wall outside a Leeds flat says he dumped paving slabs on his body because he was “scared” of his co-defendant.
Aiden Ramsdale was seen on CCTV dumping paving slabs on the body of 25-year-old Mr Wall outside of Ramsdale’s home on Fairford Avenue in Beeston in June.
Mr Wall had fallen from the second-storey window of the building and was then badly beaten, before being strangled.
Paving slabs were dumped on the body in an effort to cover it over, after it was set on fire.
Cameras from Hunslet Moor Primary School opposite the flat picked up both 25-year-old Ramsdale and his pal, 32-year-old Patrick Mason, outside the flat, with Ramsdale entering the next door yard, picking up the slabs and dumping them in the direction of where the body lay.
They both deny murder, blaming each other for causing Mr Wall’s death.
Giving evidence, Ramsdale was cross examined by Mason’s barrister, Christopher Tehrani KC, at Leeds Crown Court on Monday. He quizzed Ramsdale on why he dropped the paving slabs on the body.
Ramsdale said he was scared of Mason and did as he was told.
He added: “Patrick Mason told me to drop them down to cover the body. I was scared and I panicked. I have never been in a situation like that. There was so much fear running through my body.
"I should not have done it. I didn’t feel like I had anywhere to run to, it was my flat. I can’t explain why I did not do the right thing.”
The trial previously heard how Ramsdale was caught on an audio recording with his father, admitting causing the death of Mr Wall, describing it like an “ISIS-type killing”. He also claimed that Mr Wall was a paedophile, and had child abuse images on his phone.
Police pieced together a CCTV timeline on the night of Mr Wall’s murder. They pinpointed the moment the pair encountered Mr Wall in the early hours of June 23, before inviting him to Ramsdale’s flat.
Not long after, the school camera picked up what looked to be Mr Wall falling to the ground from the window.
Patrick Mason is expected to give his evidence in the coming days. The trial continues.