THE jury in the trial of a former army sergeant and cocaine addict accused of murdering his friend of 20 years have started their deliberations.

Daniel Shovelton, of Saffron Close in Longbarn, is currently standing trial for the eleventh day at Liverpool Crown Court, accused of the murder of 58-year-old Mark Bradbury.

A retiree who also worked as a 'man with a van', and was also known by his nicknames of Henry or H, Mr Bradbury was ‘battered to death’ at his home on Station Road South in Padgate on August 1 last year.

The prosecution alleges that Shovelton was ‘desperate’ for drugs and money, having been sacked from his job as a courier with DPD for theft and being more than £50,000 of debt.

They say he saw ‘doting’ dad Mr Bradbury, a small time drug dealer, as the ‘answer to his problems’.

The defence submit that the evidence in the case against Shovelton is all circumstancial and at the time of the attack, Shovelton was asleep in his car.

This afternoon, Tuesday, the jury have retired to consider the evidence and begin their deliberations.

You can read a summary of the trial by Judge Aubrey in his summing up here.

The trial continues.