‘Conman took advantage’ of pensioner before his crossbow murder, court is told

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails

Sign up to our free breaking news emails

Please enter a valid email address

Please enter a valid email address

SIGN UP

I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice

The partner of a pensioner murdered with a crossbow told a court a man “took advantage” when they decided to grow cannabis for medicinal purposes.

Gerald Corrigan 74, was fatally shot outside his home in a remote part of Anglesey North Wales in April 2019.

In the years leading up to his death, the retired lecturer and his partner Marie Bailey, 67, gave more than £200,000 to alleged fraudster Richard Wyn Lewis, 50, which they believed was for land deals, property developments and horses, Mold Crown Court was told.

The jury was told the trial is not linked to Mr Corrigan’s murder or the reasons for it.

Giving evidence on Thursday, Miss Bailey said Mr Corrigan, whom she called Gerry, had agreed for a “couple of” cannabis plants to be grown in one of the outbuildings at his property because the drug helped with her multiple sclerosis (MS).

She said Lewis, whom the couple knew as Wyn, helped set up the grow and told them not to look in the outbuilding.

She said: “What happened was that many more plants were grown.

“We didn’t know and, as soon as Gerry saw the amount of plants, Wyn had to remove them.

“He (Mr Corrigan) did get very angry and told Wyn to remove them immediately and that was what Wyn did.”

Miss Bailey, who gave evidence over video link, became visibly upset when Sam Robinson QC, defending Lewis, suggested cannabis plants were grown on the property for a number of years.

She said: “Do not say such a thing. How dare you? You are wrong and if Wyn is telling you that, he is lying.

“Gerry allowed Wyn to grow a couple of plants for me for my MS. It’s good, it does help, medicinally, with my MS, that was all.

“Gerry was helping me, taking care of me, doing what he could for me, and Wyn took advantage.”

Mr Robinson asked if the couple were aware Lewis was an informer for North Wales Police.

Miss Bailey said: “This is what I think he told Gerry but I don’t know how true that was. Wyn told a lot of stories that weren’t true.”

She said Lewis told Mr Corrigan he had been arrested with the cannabis plants after removing them from their property in 2016.

But she did not agree that Mr Corrigan had been waiting in the court car park to thank him after he was sentenced.

She said: “I don’t think that is true and, if it is, Gerry certainly didn’t tell me.”

Miss Bailey told the court she moved to a rented flat in Worcestershire after her partner’s death.

She said: “I’m really living hand to mouth. I don’t really have anything at all. I have very little money. Everything was taken from me.”

Lewis, of Llanfair-yn-Neubwll, Holyhead, denies 11 counts of fraud and one count of intending to pervert the course of justice.

His partner Siwan Maclean, 52, of the same address, denies entering into a money laundering arrangement.

Proceeding.