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25
Jun
Harrogate killer 'bragged about taking a woman hostage', court hears
A Harrogate killer bragged about taking a woman hostage and threatened a man with a hammer, a court heard yesterday (June 24).
Philip Watson, 34, has admitted murdering Paul Tillett, 56, at Mr Tillett's Strawberry Dale home. His co-accused, Jason Johnson, 27, denies murder.
Mr Tillett was found bound and gagged on the floor of his flat by police on September 29, 2024.
Day nine of the trial at Leeds Crown Court yesterday (June 24) heard written statements read by the prosecution.
One statement, by a named man described as a close friend of Mr Tillett's and given to police on October 21 last year, described Watson as a “bully who bullies vulnerable people”.
The man, who said he had known Watson for a few weeks before the murder, recounted one occasion when Watson threatened him with a hammer.
He said:
We were at a house in Harrogate. We were smoking crack and I had 10 shots left.
Watson pulled a hammer from his trousers and threatened me with it if I did not give him my crack.
The man described Mr Johnson as a “quiet lad, really”, and told police he was “shocked to hear he was involved”.
Held woman hostage
The man visited Mr Tillett’s flat on September 28, 2024.
He told police he had not visited Mr Tillett at home for two weeks as "Watson was living there".
The man arrived at the property at around 5.30pm but said he never saw Mr Tillett that day.
“I went to check Paul was ok but he never came out of his bedroom... I could hear him snoring”, he told police.
He confirmed Laura Gwynn, who died the month after witnessing the fatal attack, was also at the flat, as well as Watson and Mr Johnson.
The court heard Watson “bragged” about holding a woman hostage at the time.
Laura Gwynn sat on the sofa with Jason Johnson. Philip Watson was on the floor.
He [Watson] was bragging and said he had taken a woman hostage. He said he got money from her sugar-daddy. He said he told the woman he had killed her son and hid the body in Paul Tillett’s sofa.
Watson told the room of people at the time Mr Tillett had a “day-and-a-half to live”.
The man left the flat after around 30 minutes, the court heard.
He said he did not see anyone taking drugs at the time, and did not take drugs himself.
The man added he “did not notice anything unusual” about the behaviour of the people at the flat that day.
When the prosecution opened its case, Jamie Hill KC told the court Mr Tillett had been subjected to a “prolonged and persistent” attack, which had “elements of torture”.
Mr Hill said the prosecution believe Watson was the “main offender” and carried out most of the attack. But he alleged Mr Johson encouraged Watson to murder Mr Tillett.
In a statement during police interview, Mr Johnson accepted he was present at the attack in Mr Tillett’s flat. However, he said “at no point” did he come into physical contact with Mr Tillett and that he considered the victim a friend.
The trial continues.
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