Man 'strangled victim out of anger', court hears

A man is accused of murder Wayne Woodgate after he went missing on 17 October 2024

A man accused of murder said he strangled his victim out of anger because he held him responsible for getting him sent to jail, a jury has been told.

Wayne Woodgate, 54, was seen getting into a van in Tunbridge Wells in Kent after an altercation with Stephen Castle on 17 October last year, and his body was found six days later in a rural location in Peasmarsh, East Sussex.

A trial at Maidstone Crown Court was told that Mr Castle blamed Mr Woodgate for a police raid on his home several years earlier which ended with him going to prison.

Mr Castle, 59, of Kipping's Cross near Tunbridge Wells, admits manslaughter but denies murder.

A jury was told that, in a police interview after his arrest, Mr Castle said Mr Woodgate owed him money for a drug deal but had instead "grassed him up".

Mr Woodgate had been afraid of meeting him again, the trial heard, but they bumped into each other by chance in Tunbridge Wells.

The prosecution told the jury that Mr Castle had taken Mr Woodgate in the van to his home address and, when the two were alone, strangled and killed him.

'Scared'

Jurors were also shown CCTV of two men meeting in Tunbridge Wells on the day of Mr Woodgate's disappearance.

The court heard how a bystander called 999 as was concerned about seeing Mr Castle swearing at Mr Woodgate and that it did not look like the victim had much choice but to get in the vehicle.

Prosecutors said Mr Woodgate's son, Joseph, had driven to Tunbridge Wells to collect his father and that it looked like he had been "scared" while speaking to Mr Castle.

Joseph Woodgate was watching the exchange through his rear-view mirror and then glanced down to his mobile phone. When he looked back up both his father and Mr Castle were gone, the court heard.

Mr Woodgate's son explained that he then called his father who said: "I've got to go and see somebody, they've told me to turn my phone off."

No further phone calls were picked up, the jury was told.

Mr Castle was arrested just before 20:00 BST the same day on suspicion of kidnapping.

The defendant later told police Mr Woodgate was safe when he had dropped him off earlier.

Prosecutors say Mr Castle then went back to conceal Mr Woodgate's body further in undergrowth after he was released on police bail.

The trial continues.