A man accused of helping the alleged killer of missing man Paul Taylor has appeared in court — a day after police said that human remains had been found in woodland.
Mr Taylor, 56, was last seen leaving his address in the south-west Scotland town at around 9.45pm on October 17 last year. It is believed he travelled to Carlisle in a blue Vauxhall Corsa just before midnight on that date.
That Corsa was found abandoned in Langwathby, near Penrith, on October 19.
Mr Taylor’s disappearance sparked a major investigation which became a murder probe and has prompted repeated appeals by police to the public for information.
“A police presence will be in the area for some time whilst officers continue with their work at the scene,” said the spokesman. “People are asked to avoid the area to allow this work to continue. Paul’s family have been informed of developments.”
Jack Ryan Crawley, 20, of Sheehan Crescent, Carlisle, denies Mr Taylor’s murder and he is due to stand trial at Carlisle Crown Court in early October.
A second man, Marcus Goodfellow, also 20, appeared at the crown court this afternoon and faces one charge of assisting an offender.
This alleges that between October 17 and 20 last year, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, he assisted Jack Ryan Crawley with the disposal of Mr Taylor’s Vauxhall Corsa. The charge further alleges that he did so with intend to impede the apprehension or prosecution of Jack Ryan Crawley.
During a 15-minute hearing in front of Judge Nicholas Barker, Goodfellow formally pleaded not guilty to the charge he faces.
He spoke from the court dock to confirm his name and date of birth.
Prosecutor William Beardmore told Judge Barker there had been potentially significant developments in the case around 48 hours before the hearing, with the discovery of human remains. “Those investigations are still ongoing,” said the prosecutor.
Mr Beardmore formally outlined dates for the future progression of the case with a further hearing due to be held at the crown court later his month. In the meantime Goodfellow, of Greystone Road, Carlisle, remains on conditional bail ahead of his trial.
