The killing of hospital care worker Tarquin Turner was "a callous, cowardly, mindless and despicable crime," a defence barrister told a jury yesterday.

Graham Hyland QC, representing one of two young men accused of murdering Mr Turner, said that for the sake of a wallet, £20, a mobile phone, a neck chain and some cigarettes "an innocent, blameless 32-year-old man had his life cruelly taken from him.

"And what were these ill-gotten gains going to be spent on? Cannabis and beer," he told Bradford Crown Court.

But Mr Hyland said his client William Charlton claimed it was a robbery which went wrong.

On trial are Charlton, 21, of Foston Lane, Fagley - who admits manslaughter but denies murder - and a 17-year-old youth who cannot be named for legal reasons and who also denies murder.

Both have admitted robbing Mr Turner who died after being attacked in the grounds of Undercliffe Cricket Club, Brad-ford, last October.

In his closing speech to the jury, Mr Hyland said Charlton had at least admitted his part in the killing but his co-accused had not had the decency or courage to do the same and had sought to deflect blame.

Charlton had run up behind Mr Turner and struck him once from behind with a fence post.

"It may well be that it was that one blow, struck from behind, that was the fatal blow," said Mr Hyland. "That blow was struck by an intoxicated man without thought to the consequences of it - namely serious bodily harm but tragically death. There certainly was no intention on his part to kill Mr Turner.

"The two are together, the two of them smoke cannabis together after the attack and the two burn their clothes the day after. The two men lie repeatedly to the police. There are two fence posts used - there are two killers."

Malcolm Swift, QC for the 17-year-old, said it was true that his client was a prolific thief, prolific burglar and blatant liar.

His behaviour had been "indescribably awful," threatening an innocent man with violence, rifling through the pockets of a dying man and blaming his co-accused for the things that he had taken.

"He is guilty of robbery on his own admission but that confession to robbery does not help any of us on the issue of whether he is guilty or not of manslaughter or murder."

Earlier, in his closing speech, prosecutor Alistair MacDonald QC said there was absolutely no suggestion that Mr Turner had contributed in any way to his own death.

"He was a wholly innocent victim of the criminal behaviour of these two defendants," he added.

Judge James Stewart QC is expected to begin his summing up on Monday.