Two men, accused of killing a drug dealer in a Slade Green bedsit, threatened to maim his debt collector’s face with a blowtorch and made him listen to his friend’s blood-curdling screams as they killed him, a court heard.
Terry Wiggins, 34, was found dead in a flat in Lincoln Close by emergency services on November 17 last year with weapons including a blowtorch, kitchen knife and a “blood-stained” metal pole close by, a jury at the Old Bailey heard today (May 18).
Terry Wiggins
His body was discovered after the second man, reportedly held captive by Mr Wiggins’ alleged killers, escaped and alerted the murder victim's partner.
Nicholas Wood, 41, of Applegarth House, Lincoln Close, snarled "I’m gonna burn your face off" as he fired-up a blowtorch and waved a nine-inch kitchen knife around the flat "like a cowboy" whilst keeping Matthew Wheeler captive, the court was told.
Wood’s accomplice Tim Clark, 50, also of Applegarth House, Lincoln Close donned latex gloves and grabbed a screwdriver as the pair got "tooled-up" to murder Mr Wiggins, who lived in Maiden Lane, Crayford.
Police officers in Lincoln Close
Mr Wiggins, known as Ginger Tel, had asked Mr Wheeler to collect a £420 crack cocaine debt from the two men but went round to the flat himself when the pair rang him with the offer of a laptop and some cash.
When Mr Wiggins arrived he found they had bound Mr Wheeler with electric flex in the kitchen.
They then stabbed and beat Mr Wiggins to death and left the bedsit covered in blood, the court heard.
Prosecutor Tony Badenoch QC said: “Wheeler was able to hear that Terry had arrived as he could hear him screaming in a high pitched way.
“There was no doubt this was because he was being badly beaten and stabbed until he was lifeless.
“Eventually, Tim Clark came into the kitchen with blood all over his hands and said ‘we have to evacuate’.
Applegarth House
“Nicholas Wood followed and said something along the lines of: ‘Why did you hit him so hard', confirming that he was also present at the time.”
Describing the lead up to the murder, Mr Badenoch added: “Matthew Wheeler was trying to collect the £420 debt and was to receive a cut of the money for his trouble.
“He was not allowed into the flat until around 9pm, when Clark grabbed him and dragged him into the flat before Wood smashed him over the head with a silver dumbbell.
“In no uncertain terms it was made apparent that his visit was unwelcome. They said things like ‘f***ing c***, I’m going to kill you. You’re going to die.”
Mr Wiggins’ lifeless body was left lying on the floor as the pair left with Mr Wheeler making "no attempt" to call the emergency services, the jury was told.
Mr Wheeler managed to escape from the alleged killers and told Mr Wiggins’ long-term partner Cheryl Crane about the attack as the men went on the run.
When police and ambulance services arrived at the scene, just after 10.30pm, they found Mr Wiggins dead alongside an array of weapons including a blow torch, a large red kitchen knife, blood-stained latex gloves, pliers, wire clippers, a dumbbell, and a blood-stained metal pole.
Wood and Clark’s pit bull Benzo had left bloody paw prints around the flat.
A post mortem revealed that Wiggins had defensive injuries and stab-wounds, bruises, abrasions, and lacerations all over his body.
Wood and Clark were arrested at the Urgent Care Centre at Queen Mary’s Hospital in Frognal Avenue, Sidcup, when they turned up “desperate for drugs” on November 19, the court heard.
The pair both deny one count of murder and one count of false imprisonment.
The trial continues.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article