Jury retires to consider verdicts in Middlesbrough murder and attempt murder trial

The jury in the trial of a man accused of stabbing to death an old acquaintance in her own home has been sent home to continue its deliberations tomorrow (Thursday, June 26).

Andrew Hall, 47, is alleged to have committed the multiple stabbing of Glenna Siviter, whose body was found by her adult son, Declan, concealed under a sofa in her home in Grimwood Avenue, Brambles Farm, Middlesbrough, on Friday, December 15, last year.

The prosecution alleges that Hall killed 50-year-old Ms Siviter in robbing her of jewellery to sell or exchange for drugs.

It was said her death took place in the early hours of Monday, December 15, but the body lay unfound until her son paid a visit four days later.

During the following days, Hall is also accused of stabbing two fellow drug users elsewhere in the Middlesbrough area.

(Image: Cleveland Police)

The jury in the trial at Newcastle Crown Court has heard that Hall and Ms Siviter, both drug users, had been friends since childhood and were described as being like “brother and sister.”

In his closing speech, prosecution counsel Peter Moulson paid reference to the “wall of silence” from the defendant over the offences alleged against him, given the fact that Hall gave no reply to police questions in four interviews and chose not to give evidence during the defence case in the trial.

But in his closing speech to the jury, earlier today (Wednesday, June 26) defence counsel Nicholas Lumley KC said Ms Siviter did not deserve to be harmed, “never mind killed”.

He said there was “no hint of a motive” for his client to have killed her and, “every reason for him not to have done this.”

Mr Lumley said Ms Siviter was someone the defendant got on well with and sought to help with her drug issues.

He told the jury there were too many unanswered questions over her death, and there were, “gaps to be filled”.

These included the definitive time of her death as people had come and gone from the house in the days after and her own daughter did not notice anything amiss when she visited to collect clothes on December 14.

(Image: The Northern Echo)

Mr Lumley also pointed to the evidence of two people working at the Farm House Kitchen, which Ms Siviter regularly visited, who believed they saw her at the premises in the days after the prosecution believe she was killed.

In response to that, the court heard detectives have been unable to find CCTV evidence of her visiting the shop on those days, but Mr Lumley said it was based on them viewing “incomplete footage” from cameras in the area.

Mr Lumley said the police and prosecution, “desperately want it to be him (Hall)” as “it fits their theory”.

But he said, in assuming they had their man, they either ignored or “swept under the carpet” any evidence potentially contradicting that theory.

For more court stories from The Northern Echo, click here

• Prosecution closing speech in Middlesbrough murder accused trial

• Alleged Middlesbrough killer also denies two attempted murder charges

• Middlesbrough man accused of killing woman in her home during robbery

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Hall, of Thorntree Avenue, Middlesbrough, denies the murder of Ms Siviter and the attempted murder of the two men stabbed in the other two incidents, on December 13 and 15.

Following three-and-a-half hours’ deliberation today, the trial judge, Mr Justice Nicholas Lavender, sent jurors home for the night at 4.30pm.

He told them to return to continue their deliberations in the morning (Thursday, June 27).