Defence to start outlining its case at trial of Scunthorpe man who denies murder

Mobile phone records provided backing for the claim that a murder suspect was in the area where he allegedly dumped a dead body in woodland, a court heard.

Lithuanian man Aleksandras Aleksiunas, 26, of Burke Street, Scunthorpe, denies murdering chicken factory worker Arvydas Skrinkas at Cottager's Dale Woods, near Great Limber, between December 24 and January 10.

He and Lithuanian co-defendant Arundas Gervelis, 24, of Dale Street, Scunthorpe, deny falsely imprisoning Mr Skrinkas and his girlfriend, Agne Jozenaite, on December 24 and falsely imprisoning Miss Jozenaite on December 25.

The prosecution at Hull Crown Court claims Aleksiunas stabbed Mr Skrinkas, causing a 12cm-deep shoulder wound and other wounds, and strangled him with a ligature after driving him to the remote wooded area.

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He is said to have hidden his own blood-splattered jacket, a door key to his mother's home and the victim's sandals, also under piles of leaves.

Aleksiunas is said to have been furious that a satellite navigation system had gone missing from a car and blamed Lithuanian Mr Skrinkas, 25, of Sheffield Street, Scunthorpe, and his girlfriend, Miss Jozenaite, 23, for the theft.

Police data analyst Michelle Harrison told the court that mobile phone records suggested that two phones attributed to Aleksiunas suggested that they had been used on Christmas Eve in the area near where the body was found.

A Humberside Airport radio mast had picked up signals, as well as others at Elsham and Nettleton, suggesting that the phones had been inside the area near where the body was discovered.

Other records suggested that phones used by others involved in the case, including that of Miss Jozenaite, had taken or received calls or text messages on a southbound journey to the Nottingham area and back.

The prosecution claims Miss Jozenaite was kept prisoner in a car with Aleksiunas and others and that it travelled towards Nottingham on Christmas Day.

Police investigating officer Mark Fletcher said CCTV pictures from a bank, petrol station and builders' merchants in Scunthorpe showed Aleksiunas was wearing the same jacket as was found covered in leaves near the dumped body.

The defence is due to start its case towards the end of this week.

The case continues.