A JURY was today being sworn in to try a 52-year-old man accused of murdering a girl of 11 more than 30 years ago.
Ronald Castree, of Brandon Crescent, Shaw, Oldham, is charged with murdering Lesley Molseed in 1975.
Lesley disappeared from her home in Rochdale and her body was found three days later on moors at Ripponden, near the Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire border.
Tax clerk Stefan Kiszko was convicted of her murder, but was freed 16 years later after his conviction was quashed.
He died shortly afterwards.
At a hearing earlier this year Castree pleaded not guilty to murdering Lesley.
At Bradford Crown Court yesterday six men and six women were selected to sit on the jury and told they would be sworn in today.
Three other people were selected as ‘spares’.
All 15 members of the jury panel were told to return to court this morning, when more information would be given.
Before the jury was selected they were all asked a series of questions, including whether they knew the defendant, the Molseed family or a man called Raymond Hewlett.
The judge, Mr Justice Openshaw, also said to the jury-in-waiting: “You may know that some many years ago a man called Stefan Kiszko was wrongly convicted of this murder.”
The judge then asked the group if any of them had any connection with Mr Kiszko or his family.
The judge told the jury panel: “This is a very important case.
“Mr Castree is accused of a murder which took place more than 30 years ago.
“The allegation is that he killed a little girl called Lesley Molseed.”
The judge also warned the jury to disregard all press reports about the case and particularly urged them not to look at the internet.
He said there was good reason to believe someone was putting “disinformation on the internet about this case”.
Castree stood in the dock as the jury was selected.
He is balding and wears and was wearing a grey suit, white shirt and purple tie.
The case continued yesterday afternoon with legal argument.
