Stephen Seddon murdered Robert Seddon, 68, and Patricia, 65, in their suburban home because they survived after he drove a car into a Manchester canal with them strapped in the back seats in an earlier bid to kill them, it is alleged.
The 46-year-old father-of-three had debts and an insatiable need for cash, Manchester Crown Court was told.
Stephen Seddon (right) murdered Robert , 68, and
Patricia, 65, in their home after they survived when he drove a car
into a canal with them strapped in the back seats in an earlier bid to
kill them, it is alleged
He shot them both at close range - then planted the gun in his father’s lap to make it look like a murder-suicide at the family home in Sale, Greater Manchester, the court was told.
Seddon, from Benevente Street, Seaham, County Durham, denies two counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder.
Peter Wright QC, opening the case for the prosecution, told the jury: 'On July 6 last year, the bodies of Robert and Patricia Seddon were discovered at their home address, Clough Avenue, Sale.
'They had each been shot at close range with a sawn-off shotgun. Patricia Seddon was found in the hallway.
'She had been shot in the head at very close range. Robert Seddon was lying on a sofa in an adjoining room.
'He
had been shot from a range of about one-and-a-half metres, in all
likelihood as he was stood or about to get up from the sofa.
'The killer did not appear to have stolen anything. The house appeared undisturbed.
'Robbery did not appear to be a motive. The killer wished to keep his motive a secret.
'In the immediate aftermath of these executions, the killer had taken steps to make it look as if the person responsible was in fact, Robert Seddon, the husband of Patricia, and the man lying dead on the sofa.
'In the immediate aftermath of shooting this elderly couple, the killer placed the shotgun used to dispatch both of them, in the lap of Robert Seddon, taking his right hand and placing it on the weapon in order to give the impression that he shot his wife and proceeded to take his own life.
'The person responsible not only wanted rid of Robert and Patricia Seddon, a quiet, unassuming, elderly couple.
'He wanted to lay a false trail.
'A trail, we say, he hoped would lead away rather than towards a man with a considerable motive to kill these two people.
'That man was their son, the defendant, Stephen Seddon.'
Mr and Mrs Seddon lived in a semi-detached house, which they bought in 1987 and owned outright, and spent their retirement in a 'normal suburban avenue in a quiet suburban part of south Manchester', the jury heard.
They enjoyed a 'modest but comfortable' life, with Mr Seddon getting an occupational pension from British Airways and Mrs Seddon her state pension.
Tragedy
struck the family in September 2008 when their daughter, Lesley, died
at the age of 40, leaving her parents to look after her son, Daniel, who
lived with them at the family property.
The couple made a will in October 2009, naming each other as beneficiary if one of them died, with their assets valued at £356,000 and, after liabilities, an estate worth £230,000.
But if they both died, Stephen Seddon 'got the lot', the court heard.
'That’s why they both had to die,' Mr Wright added.
Stephen Seddon lived in Seaham, with his wife Nicola and their children.
But he had been out of work since October 2011 and by March the following year was under financial pressure.
Mr Wright continued: 'At the time of these murders, he had money problems and an insatiable thirst for cash.
'He was the sole beneficiary of their will but, in order to inherit, he needed them both dead.'
The jury heard that on March 20 last year Seddon made the first attempt to kill his parents by faking the car accident.
Instead of using his own VW Passat, Seddon hired a BMW and drove from his home in the North East to Manchester on the pretext of treating his parents to a surprise meal, a belated Mother’s Day present.
With his parents and nephew in the hired BMW, Seddon drove along a stretch of road beside the Bridgewater Canal in Timperley, south Manchester, when the car veered off the carriageway and into the water.
Daniel managed to free himself and reach safety while Seddon was seen on the roof of the car, trying to kick the windows in and shouting for help.
Witnesses who ran to assist shouted for him to get off the car - as he was making it sink.
Mrs Seddon was pulled from the water and her life saved after being given emergency CPR at the scene.
The defendant gave 'many and varied' accounts of why the 'accident' happened, the court heard.
He told a police officer at the scene that he had a problem with his heart, clutched his chest and the car ended up in the water.
He then collapsed to the ground but tests in hospital showed nothing to indicate he had suffered a heart attack.
Seddon also suggested that the car had hit a brick, but no debris could be found and experts thought it would be 'highly improbable' for that to be the cause of the crash.
Mr Wright described Seddon as 'doubly fortunate' at the time of the crash to be carrying a lock-knife and car crooklock he used to cut his own seatbelt and break the windows.
'Mr Seddon was portrayed as a hero in the media and happy to perpetuate this myth,' Mr Wright told the jury.
'The strands of evidence which cast doubt on his version of events had not been drawn together, any motive remained undiscovered and it was only after their deaths that a critical investigation of these events in March took place.
'He enjoyed his moment in the sun as the press portrayed him as one of the heroes of the moment. He clearly enjoyed the attention and deployed a certain amount of poetic licence. The accolades showered upon him as the rescuer of his parents may have been music to his ears but did little to alleviate his financial problems.
'He needed to resort to more severe methods to bring about their deaths, which were not a terrible tragedy but rather a double murder at the hands of an ungrateful son.'
The court heard that, in December 2011, Seddon's parents took equity out of their own home to buy their son's terraced house in Seaham, purchasing the property for £89,950 on a buy-to-let mortgage.
Mr Seddon paid the mortgage on the basis that his son gave him £420 a month in rent - but it was not clear if money actually changed hands.
'In addition to provision of a roof over their son's head, he also provided their son with a substantial amount of cash over the same period - a little under £40,000,' Mr Wright said.
'Even this was insufficient to satisfy the needs of Stephen Seddon.'
The trial, expected to last up to six weeks, was adjourned until tomorrow morning.
culled from dailymail.co.uk
Peter Wright QC, opening the case for the prosecution, told the jury: 'On July 6 last year, the bodies of Robert and Patricia Seddon were discovered at their home address, Clough Avenue, Sale.
'They had each been shot at close range with a sawn-off shotgun. Patricia Seddon was found in the hallway.
'She had been shot in the head at very close range. Robert Seddon was lying on a sofa in an adjoining room.
A salvage crew recover a black BMW car from a canal in Greater Manchester after it crashed with the family inside
Instead of using his own car, Seddon hired the
BMW and drove from his home in the North East to Manchester on the
pretext of treating his parents to a surprise meal, a belated Mother's
Day present the court heard
The 46-year-old father-of-three had debts and an insatiable need for cash, Manchester Crown Court was told
The couple made a will in October 2009, naming
each other as beneficiary if one of them died, with their assets valued
at £356,000 and, after liabilities, an estate worth £230,000
'The killer did not appear to have stolen anything. The house appeared undisturbed.
'Robbery did not appear to be a motive. The killer wished to keep his motive a secret.
'In the immediate aftermath of these executions, the killer had taken steps to make it look as if the person responsible was in fact, Robert Seddon, the husband of Patricia, and the man lying dead on the sofa.
'In the immediate aftermath of shooting this elderly couple, the killer placed the shotgun used to dispatch both of them, in the lap of Robert Seddon, taking his right hand and placing it on the weapon in order to give the impression that he shot his wife and proceeded to take his own life.
Despite the elderly and caring couple gifting
their son £40,000 in cash and buying his home to keep a roof over his
head, his parents 'had to die' because he stood to inherit everything in
their wills, it is alleged
He shot them both at close range - then planted
the gun in his father's lap to make it look like a murder-suicide at the
family home in Sale, Greater Manchester, the court was told
'He wanted to lay a false trail.
'A trail, we say, he hoped would lead away rather than towards a man with a considerable motive to kill these two people.
'That man was their son, the defendant, Stephen Seddon.'
Mr and Mrs Seddon lived in a semi-detached house, which they bought in 1987 and owned outright, and spent their retirement in a 'normal suburban avenue in a quiet suburban part of south Manchester', the jury heard.
They enjoyed a 'modest but comfortable' life, with Mr Seddon getting an occupational pension from British Airways and Mrs Seddon her state pension.
The couple made a will in October 2009, naming each other as beneficiary if one of them died, with their assets valued at £356,000 and, after liabilities, an estate worth £230,000.
But if they both died, Stephen Seddon 'got the lot', the court heard.
'That’s why they both had to die,' Mr Wright added.
Forensic teams outside the house where the couple are believed to have been shot in Sale, Greater Manchester
Seddon had been out of work since October 2011 and by March the following year was under financial pressure
But he had been out of work since October 2011 and by March the following year was under financial pressure.
Mr Wright continued: 'At the time of these murders, he had money problems and an insatiable thirst for cash.
'He was the sole beneficiary of their will but, in order to inherit, he needed them both dead.'
The jury heard that on March 20 last year Seddon made the first attempt to kill his parents by faking the car accident.
Instead of using his own VW Passat, Seddon hired a BMW and drove from his home in the North East to Manchester on the pretext of treating his parents to a surprise meal, a belated Mother’s Day present.
With his parents and nephew in the hired BMW, Seddon drove along a stretch of road beside the Bridgewater Canal in Timperley, south Manchester, when the car veered off the carriageway and into the water.
Daniel managed to free himself and reach safety while Seddon was seen on the roof of the car, trying to kick the windows in and shouting for help.
Witnesses who ran to assist shouted for him to get off the car - as he was making it sink.
Mrs Seddon was pulled from the water and her life saved after being given emergency CPR at the scene.
The defendant gave 'many and varied' accounts of why the 'accident' happened, the court heard.
He told a police officer at the scene that he had a problem with his heart, clutched his chest and the car ended up in the water.
He then collapsed to the ground but tests in hospital showed nothing to indicate he had suffered a heart attack.
Seddon also suggested that the car had hit a brick, but no debris could be found and experts thought it would be 'highly improbable' for that to be the cause of the crash.
Mr Wright described Seddon as 'doubly fortunate' at the time of the crash to be carrying a lock-knife and car crooklock he used to cut his own seatbelt and break the windows.
'Mr Seddon was portrayed as a hero in the media and happy to perpetuate this myth,' Mr Wright told the jury.
'The strands of evidence which cast doubt on his version of events had not been drawn together, any motive remained undiscovered and it was only after their deaths that a critical investigation of these events in March took place.
'He enjoyed his moment in the sun as the press portrayed him as one of the heroes of the moment. He clearly enjoyed the attention and deployed a certain amount of poetic licence. The accolades showered upon him as the rescuer of his parents may have been music to his ears but did little to alleviate his financial problems.
'He needed to resort to more severe methods to bring about their deaths, which were not a terrible tragedy but rather a double murder at the hands of an ungrateful son.'
The court heard that, in December 2011, Seddon's parents took equity out of their own home to buy their son's terraced house in Seaham, purchasing the property for £89,950 on a buy-to-let mortgage.
Mr Seddon paid the mortgage on the basis that his son gave him £420 a month in rent - but it was not clear if money actually changed hands.
'In addition to provision of a roof over their son's head, he also provided their son with a substantial amount of cash over the same period - a little under £40,000,' Mr Wright said.
'Even this was insufficient to satisfy the needs of Stephen Seddon.'
The trial, expected to last up to six weeks, was adjourned until tomorrow morning.
culled from dailymail.co.uk
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