Man accused of Shrewsbury busker murder 'feared for his safety'

Eighteen-year-old Bradley Davies, who denies murder, said he had been ordered to stamp on Ben Bebbington by his "out of control" friend Stewart Doran.

The jury at Birmingham Crown Court yesterday heard transcripts of Davies' police interviews following the murder in September last year.

Davies had claimed Mr Bebbington43, of Beaufort Green, Harlescott, had tried to attack him and Doran, but later changed his story.

In later interviews, he said the pair had approached Mr Bebbington, who was drunk, after seeing him with a 12-year-old boy who they were concerned about.

Davies said Doran had first kicked Mr Bebbington down some steps, before chasing him and hitting him over the head with a Lambrini bottle.

He said Doran then stamped "at least" twice on Mr Bebbington before telling him to do the same thing.

He said that after stamping on him in a "soft" manner once, Doran told him to do it again. Davies said: "He said do it harder than that. It was horrible. I felt like I had to because if I didn't I would have got hit."

During the interview, Detective Sergeant Mark Hill said Mr Bebbington had been defenceless when Davies stamped on him.

The pair handed themselves into the police, but only after coming up with a cover story which claimed that Mr Bebbington had tried to attack them first.

Imprints from two separate sets of trainers were visible on Mr Bebbington's head, the court was told.

Forensic scientist Doctor Christopher Lloyd said that identifiable marks from two separate pairs of Nike trainers were visible on Mr Bebbington's face.

Mr Bebbington, died from a subdural hematoma, a bleed on the brain, after being found unconscious on a footpath between Ditherington and Telford Way in the early hours of September 7.

The prosecution allege the attack was carried out by two men, Stewart Doran and Bradley Davies.

Davies, 18, of no fixed abode, has denied a charge of murder. He admits joining in the attack but denies any criminal responsibility for Mr Bebbington's death.

Doran, 21, of Bainbridge Green, Harlescott, has pleaded guilty to murder and will be sentenced at the end of Davies's trial at Birmingham Crown Court

Dr Lloyd, speaking in court yesterday, said marks on Mr Bebbington's forehead appeared to have been made by "more than one kick or stamp", while marking towards his left cheek seemed to have come from a single stamp or kick made by a different shoe.

The court was shown a video overlaying the pattern of a pair of Nike trainers purchased after the attack and recovered from Davies on to an image of Mr Bebbington's injured left cheek.

Images of a burnt trainer with the same sole pattern recovered in the investigation was also overlaid.

Dr Lloyd said the pattern matched one of the imprints.

Michael Shorrock QC, for Davies, asked Dr Lloyd if other kicks to the head would have produced additional marks.

"In all likelihood, any further forceful blows would have produced more marks," he said.

The trial continues.