Mary Ann murder trial: Judge sums up

The judge in the case of murdered teenager Mary Ann Leneghan began his summing up today by telling the jury they must put all strong emotions aside when considering their verdict.

Mr Justice Penry-Davey told jurors hearing the trial of six men for the abduction, assault, rape, murder and attempted murder of Reading teenager Mary Ann Leneghan and her friend, who cannot be named, that they should consider the guilt or innocence of each defendant on each count separately.

It is alleged that 16-year-old Mary Ann and her friend, aged 18 at the time, were abducted in central Reading, Berkshire, by a gang of six men and taken to a nearby guesthouse where they were subjected to repeated sexual assaults before being driven to Reading’s Prospect Park to be killed.

While Mary-Ann died from stab wounds, her friend survived being shot in the head and left for dead.

Beginning his summing up of the case this morning, the judge said: “For nearly two months now you have heard evidence that has been frequently unpleasant, sometimes horrific, sometimes almost unbearable to listen to.

“You may experience emotions ranging from deep sympathy to profound sadness to the opposite of sympathy, that is antipathy, distaste, revulsion, even anger. By way of minimal relief from the grim nature of this case there have been very occasional light-hearted moments.

“But none of those will have for a moment left you in any doubt about the importance and the seriousness of the task you have to perform.

“It is very, very important that your task is a cold, dispassionate one in which emotion one way or the other plays absolutely no part at all.”

He added that the men did not need to have had direct involvement in any of the crimes they are accused of to be found guilty but that their mere presence at the scene was not enough.

He said: “The essence of joint responsibility for a criminal offence is that each defendant shared the responsibility to commit the offence and took some part in it, either great or small.”

All six defendants are charged with murder, attempted murder, rape, kidnap and assault.

The men deny all charges except Michael Johnson, 19, of Southfields, south-west London, who admits murder, attempted murder and kidnap, although he denies rape and assault.

Jamaile Morally, 22, of Balham, south London, denies all charges and an additional count of rape against the 18-year-old girl.

His brother, Joshua Morally, 23, also of Balham, denies murder, attempted murder and rape but has admitted assault and kidnap.

Adrian Thomas, 20, of Battersea, south west London, Llewellyn Adams, 24, of Balham, and 18-year-old Indrit Krasniqi of Chiswick, west London, deny all the charges.

The case continues.