Jury selected for man accused of murdering Annan man Paul Taylor

Jack Ryan Crawley denies murdering Annan man Paul Taylor on October 18 last year and the attempted murder of another man on January 5. He also denies a second charge of intentionally wounding the man he is accused trying to murder.

 This is an alternative charges to the attempted murder allegation. 

In the dock at the city’s crown court alongside Crawley is Marcus Goodfellow. The 20-year-old is accused of "assisting an offender", his co-defendant Crawley.

Court papers show the charge faced by Goodfellow, of Greystone Road, Carlisle, alleges that he helped Crawley to dispose of a Vauxhall Corsa car “between October 17 and October 20, 2023.”

Specifically, the charge alleges that he “arranged transport away from incriminating evidence, with intent to impede the apprehension or prosecution of a person who had committed the offence of murder, knowing or believing the said person to be guilty of the offence or some other offence.”

Goodfellow has pleaded not guilty.

Detectives brought the murder charge against Crawley following a lengthy investigation which began after Mr Taylor went missing on October 17 last year.

At the time of his disappearance, he was aged 56.

At the city’s crown court today, the trial judge, The Honourable Mr Justice Goose, oversaw the jury selection process, with a panel of 16 jurors being chosen at random from a larger group.

The prosecution case, led by David McLachlan KC, will get underway this afternoon.

Crawley, of Sheehan Crescent, Raffles, Carlisle, appeared in the dock wearing a navy blue suit, with a blue tie and light blue shirt. He was wearing black spectacles. He will be represented during the trial by Toby Hedworth KC.

Goodfellow appeared in the dock wearing a black suit and tie. Jurors were told that the case is expected to last until October 25.

The jury panel consists of eight men and eight women. The judge told them that they should return to court for 2pm so that the case can get underway.