An Eden village became the centre of a murder probe after a car belonging to the victim was crashed there by the teen killer and his alleged accomplice.
Former Army serviceman Paul Taylor, a 56-year-old married father, was last seen by his wife, Maria, at their Annan home on 17th October, 2023.
Mr Taylor disappeared that night. His blue Vauxhall Corsa was found crashed and abandoned in Langwathby on the morning of 19th October. In May, his skeletal remains were found in a shallow woodland grave near a site showing signs of burning.
Jack Crawley, then 19 and now 20, led police to the body. Crawley — who formerly lived and worked in Appleby — is on trial at Carlisle Crown Court. He admits manslaughter and the unlawful killing of Mr Taylor but denies murder.
A second man, Marcus Goodfellow (20), of Greystone Road, Carlisle, denies assisting Crawley by disposing of the car.
As their trial began, jurors heard an eyewitness had reported seeing the Corsa as it was driven into Langwathby on the A686.
“It had a collision while it shot across the road,” said a statement from a bystander. “It came to a standstill outside the Shepherds Inn. Two males got out of the car.”
They were Crawley and Goodfellow, who had travelled from Carlisle in Mr Taylor’s vehicle hours after his alleged murder.
Of Crawley’s plea to manslaughter, David McLachlan KC, prosecuting, told jurors: “We anticipate that he will say that he was trying to rob Paul Taylor’s car and it all went wrong.”
In a statement, Mrs Taylor recalled the previous evening with her husband: “He was absolutely normal,” she said. “He went upstairs to get changed into his pyjamas and came back down. We were watching TV and he was laughing away.”
She later found his bag and pyjamas in the kitchen and, she said “presumed he had been in a rush to leave quickly”.
Jurors were led through a detailed timeline of events featuring phone contact, maps, CCTV stills and video footage from the period before Mr Taylor’s death.
Crawley bought dark winter clothing, charcoal and a lighter in the days and hours before Mr Taylor’s disappearance. He initially tried to sell Mr Taylor’s car early on 18th October.
Mr Taylor’s family were unaware of his long-standing sexual interest in men.
His contact with Crawley dated back to December, 2022, phone data showed.
He was reported missing by his wife on 18th October.
Mr McLachlan alleged Crawley killed Mr Taylor in a “premeditated” and planned attack during which “severe violence was meted out”.
Crawley, of Sheehan Crescent, Carlisle, also denies attempting to murder a second man months later in Yorkshire.
The trial continues.
