A MURDER trial jury considering the case of a Deeside man, alleged to have killed a Liverpool drug supplier, is expected to retire to consider its verdict today.

Leslie Peter Baines, 48, of Kings Road in Connah’s Quay, denies the murder of Matthew Cassidy, 19, of Huyton, Liverpool, at a block of flats in Connah’s Quay on May 29 last year.

Mr Justice Clive Lewis has summed up the law to the jury at Mold Crown Court and both the prosecutor Paul Lewis QC and defending barrister Patrick Harrington QC have made their closing speeches.

The judge began summing up the facts of the case and said he would complete it today.

Co-defendant David John Woods, 20, of Douglas Place, Liverpool, the leader of a rival drugs gang, changed his plea to guilty of murder last week and had also admitted doing acts intending to pervert the course of justice by providing police with false telephone evidence in a bid to blame it all on Baines.

Mr Harrington said there was a glaring disparity between the description of a man seen leaving the Bethel Place flats with Woods, and his client.

The description given was of a man who was taller and heavier and who had hair sticking out from under the back of his hat while his client was bald, he said.

Baines denied that his trainer shoes had made marks at the scene and the evidence on which the prosecution relied was only “moderately strong” that they had, Mr Harrington said.

That was the high point of the prosecution case and it was not enough.

Mr Harrington said there was DNA material connecting Woods with Baines’ trainers but that was hardly surprising given that later that evening Baines had been at a house buying drugs from Woods who was bleeding profusely from a hand wound.

Mr Harrington said there was no evidence that his client knew Mr Cassidy, had any grievance against him or wished him any ill will.

At the flats there was blood everywhere and if, as the prosecution had suggested, he was there to block the exit to prevent Mr Cassidy leaving, it was inconceivable that he would not have been covered in blood.

There was no DNA material to link Baines with the flats, said Mr Harrington.

Paul Lewis, prosecuting, told the jury members they would have to consider if Baines was the second man, whether he was involved personally in the attack or being present providing Woods with support and encouragement.

He said Baines’ alibi was that he was not at the flats but he was not sure where he was – while wandering the streets of Connah’s Quay, looking for drugs.

Baines’ sister had contacted Woods before the murder and Mr Lewis asked the jury to consider if that was on the defendant’s behalf.

CCTV showed Baines walking directly towards the flats some 40 minutes before the murder occurred.

Two men had been seen leaving the flat, CCTV showed Baines arriving home and changing, and on Baines’ version of events, Woods' DNA was on his trainers because he had met up with him at a house in Osbourne Court to buy drugs from him when he was bleeding.

Was it co-incidence that both had changed their clothing and that a short time later both were at the same house? he asked.

In his police interview Baines could have given police considerable help in their investigation of a brutal and horrific murder but had failed to do so.

Proceeding.