Crabtree murder trial: Murder accused told gran 'I've been a bad boy, and 'I'm not going to heaven,' jury told

A man accused of murdering a drug courier by shooting him with a shot gun told his gran he had been a ‘bad boy’ and ‘was not going to heaven,’ a jury has heard.

Lewis Hutchinson killed courier Mihai Dobre in the early hours of April 13 last year in Crabtree, Paston. He has pleaded guilty to manslaughter, but denies murder and conspiracy to rob.

On Monday, Peterborough Crown Court heard how following the fatal incident, Hutchinson had called gran Diane Riley, (65), of Spirewic Avenue, Skegness, asking for her to come and get him.

Hutchinson went to Riley’s home following the shooting, and was arrested there on April 15.

The jury were told Riley was also arrested on April 15 – and when she was interviewed, she told police what Hutchinson had said as she picked him up.

Peter Gair, prosecuting said Riley told police: “He said hes, um, been a bad boy and hurt someone, and will you come and pick me up.”

Mr Gair said Riley had told police that Hutchinson had cried in the car on the way to Skegness. Riley told police she had asked why he was crying, and he had told her: “He just said he won’t go to heaven. He’s a Catholic.”

When they arrived at Skegness, Riley said: “He just went off to the beach, did his own thing. Went for a long walk.”

The jury have seen a video of the moment Hutchinson was arrested, but Riley told officers in her interview that he had wanted to hand himself in. She said: ““The day he got arrested he begged me to take him back to Peterborough. He wanted to go and hand himself in. He can’t live with what he’s done, you know.”

She said she had asked him what he had done, and he had replied: “He just said he shot a man, but didn’t expect that to happen, but it was a mistake.”

The jury heard Hutchinson was interviewed three times by police after his arrest – on April 15, 16 and 17 – and had his gran’s comments put to him during interview. However, he answered ‘no comment’ to all questions in all three interviews.

The jury also heard Hutchinson’s criminal record, which included convictions for GBH, possessing a bladed instrument in public, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, intimidating a witness, racially aggravated harassment, assaulting a constable, resisting a constable and threatening behaviour.

Christopher Pycroft, who has admitted conspiracy to rob in relation to the incident which saw Mr Dobre lose his life, gave evidence earlier in the trial where he said Hutchinson had arrived at his home at around 8.30pm on the night in question, before leaving at around 11.30pm.

On Monday, the court was also told CCTV evidence showed that Hutchinson had been at a shop at around 9pm.

Pycroft also told the court during his evidence his arm had been in a plaster cast, after he had been attacked by a drug dealer with a machete.

The court heard when Pycroft had gone to hospital, he had said he had got the wound through self harm, before telling police he had been attacked by the drug dealer. When he gave his evidence, he said he wasn’t sure who had attacked him, whether it was the dealer or one of the dealer’s friends.

Hutchinson (29), of Eastern Avenue, Peterborough, pleaded guilty to manslaughter, and has pleaded not guilty to murder and conspiracy to commit robbery.

Riley, (65), of Spirewic Avenue, Skegness, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

Pycroft 40, of Crabtree, Paston, Peterborough has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery.

The trial continues