Clayton West contract killing arranged on Facebook, court hears

Mar 11 2010 Huddersfield Daily Examiner

A 39-YEAR-OLD man accused of carrying out a contract killing on a secluded Huddersfield road went on a £25,000 spending spree just days after the murder.

Former off-shore rig worker Simon Mullen is alleged to have been the gunman who shot 45-year-old Christopher Hartley, pictured,  in the head and chest after he was lured to a quiet country road in Clayton West last September on the pretext of a drugs deal.

A jury heard yesterday how unemployed Mullen, who had been on benefits, bought a 63-inch television, a Blu-Ray home entertainment system, a 50-inch television for his girlfriend, a £2,500 stereo system for his car, more than £2,000 worth of furniture and a Transit van for £3,500.

Mullen also spent £7,000 on repairs to his own car and a further £1,400 to attend a five-day course for the renewal of his off-shore licence.

Mr Hartley’s body was found lying next to his Jaguar car in Litherop Lane and when police searched his substantial home at Haigh Wood Lodge, Batley Road, Tingley, they discovered a drugs factory set up in a bungalow in the grounds.

A quantity of recreational drugs were found near to Mr Hartley's body and in the bungalow police later found a tablet-making press, ingredients for making controlled drugs, 20,000 ecstasy tablets and about two kilos of herbal cannabis.

Prosecutor Alistair McDonald QC told a jury at Bradford Crown Court yesterday that Mr Hartley was clearly a manufacturer of controlled drugs, but he alleged that a drugs deal was only the pretext for luring the victim to scene of the killing.

Mr McDonald alleged that Mr Hartley had been the dominant and sometimes violent partner in a relationship with 35-year-old David Large.

The court heard that Mr Hartley was infatuated with Large, of Rona Croft, Rothwell, and was jealous and possessive towards him.

But in 2008 Large began a relationship with a Netherton woman, Dawn Mallinson, on Facebook and that developed into a relationship.

Mr McDonald said on one occasion Mr Hartley smashed the windscreen of Large’s Mercedes car while he was visiting Miss Mallinson and he submitted that Mr Hartley also made a threatening phone call to her.

Large and Miss Mallinson split up in July, but Mr McDonald alleged that Large was becoming increasingly sick of the situation with Mr Hartley and had told her he was going to “sort it out”.

Large and Mullen, of Farding Square, South Shields, both deny murdering Mr Hartley, but Mr McDonald alleged that they acted together.

“It is our case that Simon Mullen was the gunman,” said Mr McDonald.

“We say that he had been recruited by Mr Large and was paid a substantial sum of money to act as the person actually pulling the trigger.”

The court heard that on the day of the killing Large was in London, but in the early hours of the following morning he turned up at Miss Mallinson’s home with a bag which he said contained more than £100,000.

Large allegedly told Miss Mallinson “It’s done”.