A Carlisle man accused of helping to dispose of a car belonging to missing Paul Taylor has made his first appearance in court.
Marcus Goodfellow, 20, has been charged as part of an ongoing investigation by detectives into the alleged murder of Mr Taylor, who was 56 at the time he went missing late last year.
Mr Taylor was last seen leaving his address in Annan at around 9.45pm on October 17. It is believed he travelled to Carlisle in a blue Vauxhall Corsa just before midnight on that date.
His disappearance sparked a major investigation and prompted repeated appeals by police to the public for information. That has since become a murder probe. Police have said Mr Taylor’s body is yet to be recovered.
The charge faced by Goodfellow, of Greystone Road, Carlisle, alleges that he assisted an offender.
Court papers show he is alleged to have done so, between October 17 and October 20, by assisting in the disposal of a motor vehicle belonging to Mr Taylor, and arranging transport away from in incriminating evidence.
The charge further alleges that Goodfellow did so with intent to impede the apprehension or prosecution of a person who had (allegedly) committed the offence of murder.
Goodfellow appeared at Carlisle Magistrates’ Court this morning. During a three-minute hearing in front of a district judge, Goodfellow spoke from the dock to confirm his name, address and date of birth.
No plea was entered to the charge, which was read to him by the court legal advisor. This charge is classed as indictable only, which means it must be dealt with at a crown court.
Goodfellow’s case was sent to Carlisle Crown Court, where he is due to appear in front of a judge on May 3. In the meantime he was granted bail by the district judge.
One of two conditions of that bail prohibits Goodfellow from having any contact with three males.
- Another 20-year-old Carlisle man — Jack Crawley, of Sheehan Crescent — stands charged with the alleged murder of Mr Taylor on October 18. Crawley has already appeared at the crown court, and a trial date has provisionally been set with a starting date of October 2 this year.
