A MAN violently murdered his great uncle and received help from another family member, a jury was told.

Adam Mason denies the murder of Desmond Wooding, while Mark Mason denies assisting an offender. The court heard that Mr Wooding was found by a neighbour with 11 stab wounds and died of his injuries.

Adam Mason, 33, of Plough Lane, Tibberton, is accused of the murder of the 80-year-old at Mr Wooding’s home in Vines Lane on June 23 last year.

Mark Mason, 55, of Plough Lane, Tibberton, is alleged to have driven Adam Mason, his nephew, away from the scene with the prosecution saying he intended to impede the apprehension or prosecution of Adam Mason, knowing or believing him to be guilty of the murder or another arrestable offence.

On the first day of the trial, a jury of six men and six women was selected. Opening the prosecution’s case, Adrian Keeling said: “The issue in this case is not whether Desmond Wooding was murdered, but by whom.”

The barrister said that they had a lot of circumstantial evidence that, all put together, would “fit together like a jigsaw” and convince the jury of the defendant's guilt.

He explained that the circumstances were that the neighbour, concerned about Mr Wooding, went to check on him on June 24. Mr Keeling said the neighbour found the door to his bungalow unlocked and once inside he called out to him, but there was no answer.

Mr Keeling said it quickly became apparent why as when he moved into the lounge he discovered the victim on the floor, with 11 or more significant stab or slash wounds to the neck and chest area, which he said would have been inflicted by the use of a “sharp instrument”.

The prosecutor explained that Mr Wooding had been married to Adam Mason’s great aunt Maureen, who had left him before her death in 2013.

“The Mason family did not care for him (Desmond Wooding) because of their troubled marriage,” Mr Keeling said. “Members of the family didn’t want to see him again.”

Mr Keeling said the prosecution allege Adam Mason left the Gardeners Arms, where he had been drinking on June 23, and murdered the victim in a 20-minute period before 9pm.

He added that police had painstakingly gone through CCTV evidence in Vines Lane which he said would help make it possible to eliminate other possible candidates for the murder, who had been in the area during this key time period.

The prosecution barrister was set to continue this morning, before the defence opens its case.

The trial continues.