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14
Jun
Harrogate murder accused was 'forced to help' killer, court told
A Harrogate man accused of murder was “forced to help” kill another man in his own home, a court has heard.
Jason Johnson, 27, denies murdering Paul Tillet at a flat on Strawberry Dale on Sunday, September 29, 2024.
Another man, Philip Watson, 34, had already pleaded guilty to murder at an earlier hearing.
A trial on Friday (June 13) at Leeds Crown Court was played a police interview from a witness, Natasha Simpson.
Miss Simpson called 999 after her friend Laura Gwynn, who was in the room during the attack, told her about Mr Tillet’s death.
In an interview with PC Emma Dawson, which was played to the court, Miss Simpson said Watson had killed the 56-year-old and “forced Jason to help”.
She told PC Dawson that the information was given to her by Miss Gwynn, who died in October 2024.
Miss Simpson said Miss Gwynn found her in Knaresborough on the evening of September 29 after she had been “looking for her”.
She told PC Dawson that Miss Gwynn had seen Watson “torture” Mr Tillet, including tying him up, burning him with an aerosol and carving the letter “W” into his forehead.
Miss Simpson said in interview:
We drove to Harrogate. She [Miss Gwynn] said he made Jason help to hold him down.
Miss Simpson said in her interview that Mr Johnson was “easily manipulated” and that she “never expected him to hurt someone”.
Mr Johnson denies murder. Police bodycam footage of Miss Gwynn is expected to be played to the jury later in the trial.
Miss Simpson called police twice, the court heard.
On the first occasion, she called 101 while still in Knaresborough to ask for a welfare check on Mr Tillet as they had “heard a disturbance” at the Stawberry Dale flats.
However, after driving to near Mr Tillet’s home and parking up, she said officers went to the wrong flat. She said she called 999 a second time to “tell the truth”. When asked why she called a second time, she said:
I did not like not telling the truth.
Earlier in the trial, Jamie Hill KC told the court that it was the prosecution’s case that Watson was the “main offender” and carried out most of the attack.
However, he said Mr Johnson encouraged Watson to murder Mr Tillet.
In a statement during police interview, Mr Johnson accepted he was present at the attack in Mr Tillet’s flat. However, he said “at no point” did he come into physical contact with Mr Tillet and that he considered the victim a friend.
The trial continues.
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