‘Paige’s killer’ is named during drugs session

Preston Crown Court was told that Gareth Dewhurst said he had received a phone call from the man accused of her murder in which he was asked to help collect Paige’s body.

And he said that defendant Robert Ewing had forced him to commit a sexual offence on Paige.

The evidence was given by Michael Washer who said he was “about 16” when he had the conversation with Dewhurst as they both smoked cannabis.

Mr Washer, 23, said Dewhurst made the confession in 2008, several months after Paige’s disappearance.

He said the conversation took place at his then address on Sherbourne Road, North Shore.

He said Dewhurst, who was seeing his mother at the time was “a bit rambling” and was talking about someone called “Bob” who was “not a nice person”.

Mr Washer said: “He started saying, essentially, that one night Bob killed a girl called Paige Chivers.

“He said he got a phone call telling him, basically, come and collect the body”.

He said Dewhurst appeared “angry it had happened, but scared he was going to get caught”.

Mr Washer added: “When someone says they have killed someone you don’t kind of believe it.

“I later asked a good couple of times and over about a period of about a week he kept saying the same thing.

“I asked him where he put the body. He said ‘I can’t tell you that, it’s too dangerous’”.

Earlier in his evidence, Mr Washer had described Dewhurst as “completely weird”, who had a fascination with the Nazis and said he was a member of the BNP.

Mr Washer said he had “badgered” Dewhurst, asking if he was telling the truth about Paige.

“I was basically trying to get him to admit he was a liar, but he never did,” he said.

“He wouldn’t shut up about it, to be honest.”

Mr Washer said he had a police video interview in June 2008 as a witness and claimed that after Dewhurst was arrested, intimidation began.

He spoke of windows at his home being damaged. He said the defendant had swung a rusty machete at him, as well as a spade and had called him a “grass”.

Under cross examination by Dewhurst’s QC, John Jones, he said the defendant might have been “a bit out of it” while smoking the cannabis. Also, he did not remember telling police the man had been “highly stoned”, but accepted if it was in his signed witness statement, he must have said it.

Robert Ewing, 60, of All Hallows Road, Bispham, denies murdering Paige and Dewhurst, 46, of Duncan Avenue, Bispham, denies assisting in the disposal of her body.

(Proceeding)

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