A TEENAGE boy asked his girlfriend to be his alibi after admitting taking part in a brutal attack, a court heard.

Joseph Smith’s girlfriend was interviewed by police just days after the assault on Michael Beckwith.

Mr Beckwith, 44, of Goodlake Close, Dovercourt, suffered 17 blows to his head and many more to his body in Barrack Lane, Dovercourt, on July 31.

He died 36 hours later, on August 2.

Smith, Rebecca Ryan and Scott Swift are on trial accused of murder.

Ryan and two others are accused of trying to cover up the crime.

They all deny the charges.

Video footage of the interview with Imogen Porley, Smith’s girlfriend, was played to the jury at Chelmsford Crown Court yesterday.

Ms Porley, 18, said Smith contacted her on the evening of August 2, asking to speak face to face urgently.

She said: “He messaged me saying he needed to speak face to face and that he can’t do it over the phone.

“He said it was nothing about our relationship and not to worry.

“He was paranoid, looking everywhere.

"He said we couldn’t speak there, only somewhere where no-one could hear us.

“We went to the bottom of the garden, to the shed.

"He said him and Scott went out and they did someone in.

“He asked me to be his alibi.

"He asked me to say we went for a walk until 12.30am and said if I didn’t, I wouldn’t see him for ages - about 15 years.

“He said he went to meet Scott, they met up and went somewhere as Scott wanted to do this bloke in.

"I don’t think Joe even knew who it was.

“He said Scott’s girlfriend was there.

"Scott told Joe to hit his girlfriend - Joe punched her in the face.

“When he did that he was worried Scott would be angry but he was fine with it.

“They started laying into this guy. Joe kept swinging and smashed a car window.

“He asked if I knew what a compound fracture is and then if I knew what an open fracture was.

“He said: ‘Imagine seeing that on someone’s head’.

He was shocked and near enough crying.

“He said he didn’t want to do it but Scott told him to. He said something about the person they beat up being a paedophile.

“Scott told him he is a paedophile and he deserved it.

“It seems as if his girlfriend had been cheating on him and he was trying to get revenge.”

  • The trial continues 

JOSEPH Smith was tied to a chair and threatened with knives and guns in a “prank” arranged by his co-accused, a court heard.

Smith, 18, was “threatened” by Scott Swift, according to video footage of a police interview with Smith’s girlfriend, Imogen Porley.

She described how she met Swift days before and was asked to play along in a prank targeted at Smith.

She claims she accompanied Smith on a visit to the home of Triston Biddlecombe on July 29 where Swift was also present.

There she says Smith was grabbed, bound and threatened.

“Scott jumped out at Joe, they cable tied his hands behind his back, cable tied his legs to a chair and put a bin bag over his head.

“They got knives and hammers and started threatening him, scaring him.

“They got lighter fluid and waved it at him saying: ‘Do you know what this is?’

“He was terrified.

“They put a gun to his head, I think it was airgun, and said: ‘Do you know what this is?’

“They were threatening to shoot him.”

Porley alleges Swift and Triston Biddlecombe picked Smith up by the chair and carried him outside.

She said: “They laid him in the back garden and chucked mud over his face so he couldn’t breathe.

“Scott and Triston lifted him back up and cut the ties off, and said: ‘This is your birthday, this is what you get.’”

Triston Biddlecombe, 24, and wife Enderlein Biddlecombe, 20, both of East Street, Harwich, both deny assisting alleged offenders Swift and Smith.

They are accused of washing or burning blood-stained clothes, and other items, belonging to Smith and Swift.

It is also alleged they gave a false alibi.

The trial is expected to last up to six weeks.