GRISLY DETAILS OF MURDERED PENSIONER'S DEATH REVEALED IN COURT

Peter John McMahon's decomposed body was found in a freezer

Three murder suspects have appeared at crown court after a pensioner's lifeless body was found in a freezer

Peter John McMahon had suffered injuries to his private parts and his eyes before his death, it is claimed.

Investigators have been unable to pinpoint exactly when the pensioner died but, the watch he was still wearing displayed British Summer Time, meaning it could have been in October, before the clocks changed.

 

His body was found on December 1 in an eighth floor flat at The Sycamores in Elswick, Newcastle.
Ronald Douglas, 76, of West Acres, Blaydon, Gateshead, Joseph Collins, 53, of The Sycamores, Elswick and Sharon Swinhoe, 43, of Crawford Terrace, Walker, Newcastle all appeared at Newcastle Crown Court yesterday accused of Mr McMahon's murder between October 17 and December 1.

Prosecutor Mark Giuliani told the court the pensioner's watch remaining unchanged could be a clue to the timing of his death.

Mr Giuliani said: "He was the sort of character who would have changed his watch."
Mr Giuliani told the court that Mr McMahon's body was found in a decomposed state.

The Sycamores. Picture by Andy Hughes

He added Mr McMahon, of Hawthorn Terrace, Elswick, Newcastle, appears to have died as a result of heart failure and said: "The post mortem showed evidence of injuries, broken bones, damage to his testes and eyes.
"However, this was not the cause of death, the cause of death appears to have been cardiac failure.
"It appears there may have been a sadistic element to this case."

Douglas, Collins and Swinhoe will be back in court for a plea and directions hearing on February 20 next year.
A trial, expected to last three to four weeks, may be heard in May.
No applications were made for bail.