Pair admit killing Brighouse man

Reece Gledhill, 18, of no fixed address, yesterday pleaded guilty to the murder of John Greer, who was said to have lung cancer.

Appearing in the dock beside him at Leeds Crown Court, was his co-accused Claire Hardy, who was dressed in black with her hair tied neatly back, Hardy, 19, of Close Lea Way, Rastrick, pleaded not guilty to murder but the Crown accepted her guilty plea to manslaughter.

The court was told there was an allegation that Hardy had been indecently abused years previously by Mr Greer.

In September last year, after hearing about his cancer prognosis, she had gone to confront him “in the hope of hearing him at least admit what he had done” said her barrister Simon Bourne-Arton QC.

On the day of the attack Hardy had been drinking heavily and been “ruminating about the past” before going to Mr Greer’s flat in Arncliffe Crescent, Rastrick, where, because of events that then took place, “lost self-control”, said Mr Bourne-Arton.

At the time the alleged indecent abuse happened when she was 12 to 13, Hardy complained to her mother about it, he told the court.

“Not only did the mother disbelieve the defendant but continued to befriend the deceased,” said Mr Bourne-Arton who added “all that caused deep upset”.

He said an education officer’s report also showed that at about the same age Hardy “went off the rails”. Gledhill and Hardy had been due to stand trial yesterday on the murder charges.

Gledhill was the first to change his plea to guilty.

The hearing was then adjourned for about one hour before Hardy admitted the manslaughter charge.

Accepting the pair’s guilty pleas, the judge, Mr Justice Blair, said: “The defendants need to hear this. I appreciate the very great care and consideration that has been taken by their lawyers in this matter and in so far as it is for me to judge, I consider the right course has been taken.”

He remanded both defendants in custody to be sentenced tomorrow.