A missing man's body was dismembered with a saw and hidden in a concrete-filled barrel for nearly six years, a murder trial at Sheffield Crown Court has heard. Richard Dyson, 55, died from a shotgun wound to the torso before his body was allegedly beheaded and hacked apart.
Body discovered on farmland
Mr Dyson's remains were found protruding from the bottom of a barrel on farmland in Barnsley last summer, more than five years after he vanished in late 2019. Forensic pathologist Dr Charles Wilson told jurors that the body had been beheaded, and the arms and legs dismembered using a saw and possibly a knife.
Dr Wilson explained that the arms were removed at the shoulder joints after being cut with a knife, while the legs were sawn through both femur bones because the hip joint was 'much more difficult' to cut with a knife. The skull had been buried beneath three bricks along with concrete, making it impossible to determine whether facial fractures occurred before or after death.
Shotgun pellets found in rib cage
The pathologist found shotgun pellets embedded in the lower right rib cage, having entered through the left side of the body. He described the recovery operation as taking 'days' due to vegetation beneath the concrete layer and the advanced decomposition of the remains.
Prosecutor Peter Moulson KC alleged that Christopher Wright, 73, described as a 'weapons fanatic', shot Mr Dyson dead on November 17, 2019, after the victim stole and sold some of his firearms. Mr Dyson had been living in one of three vehicles parked at Wright's home, Parkside Cottage, in Hoyland, Barnsley.
Co-accused denies perverting justice
Wright is charged with murder, preventing a lawful burial, and several firearms offences. His friend Karl Schwalbe, who lived nearby, is jointly charged with perverting the course of justice. Both men deny the charges. The trial continues.
