Pensioner died following savage attack, jury told

Geoffrey Bradburn, 71, was in Shoe Market, Pontefract with Michelle Bedford after they had a couple of drinks together, when her brother, Wayne Moffitt, approached and suddenly punched him, Simon Waley prosecuting told Leeds Crown Court.

He showed the jury CCTV footage which suggested Mr Bradburn only became aware of Moffitt at the last minute.

“There then follows an entirely unprovoked attack by this defendant on Mr Bradburn,” he said.

“It starts by way of a punch which sends Mr Bradburn to the ground and that is followed by a series of kicks while he is lying there, which if not landing on his head appear to be aimed at the area of his head.”

Mr Waley said the pensioner was left unconscious by Moffitt who disappeared into Duck and Green Pease Row, an alley nearby.

Miss Bedford had gone for help and the camera showed Mr Bradburn lying still for a while before coming round and getting to his feet.

But Mr Waley told the jury that was not the end of the incident as unwittingly he too went towards the same alley.

He said it was the Crown’s case that Moffitt having initially left the area returned, pulled Mr Bradburn into the alley and attacked him again.

This time there was no CCTV coverage or eye witness but he told the jury bloodstains at the scene suggested there was a short but savage attack in the alley “and that proved fatal.”

A forensic scientist concluded Mr Bradburn was first hit while upright and standing, then hit further blows while he was on the ground.

He had blood spots on the inner aspect of his right sleeve of his sweatshirt suggesting he had his right arm raised to the side of his head, the prosecution would say attempting to shield himself.

Mr Waley said a pathologist later found the pensioner had 18 sites of injury to his head and face including fractures of his nose and right cheekbone, along with multiple areas of bruising and abrasion.

She estimated there were at least 13 blows to the head area and a neuro-pathologist said Mr Bradburn had become unconscious again as a result of the second attack.

Mr Waley said Miss Bedford had found some men to help and they returned to the scene calling 999.

A paramedic and police officers arrived and Mr Bradburn was taken to Pontefract General Infirmary but was pronounced dead less than an hour later.

Moffitt, 39 of Minden Way, Pontefract denies the murder of Mr Bradburn of Horsefair, Pontefract, on April 6 this year.

At the time of his death Mr Bradburn was living alone. He had stopped work in 2004 following a car accident and had suffered health problems since.

He knew Miss Bedford and her sister Sharon Darnborough, who had some mental health issues, but he had never spoken to Moffitt directly before.

After Moffitt was arrested as he was being driven to the police station he said he would refuse to answer questions but described Mr Bradburn as “a nonce” and “a paedo” and claimed the pensioner had previously broken his sister’s arm and deserved what he got.

Mr Waley said if Moffitt claimed a lack of intention to kill or cause serious injury to Mr Bradburn, the prosecution would say: “If you set about kicking somebody to the head whilst they are on the ground your intention is to cause serious harm to that person.”

Michelle Bedford told the jury she had been a friend of Mr Bradburn’s for about 10 years. That evening he persuaded her to go out for a drink and they were walking back to his home after closing when her brother suddenly punched him.

Mr Bradburn went to the ground and said: ”What are you doing get off me.” She ran for help and when she turned: “I saw Wayne booting him on the floor.”

Under cross-examination by Tahir Khan QC defending Moffitt, she agreed she told police the only reason she could think of for the attack was her sister complaining three years earlier Geoff had assaulted her, but she did not know if that had actually happened.

The trial continues.