BLAINE HAMMOND MURDER TRIAL: 22-year-old dumped in a box to die after 'savage assault', jury told

Blaine Hammond, 22, was found with multiple severe head injuries in a green utility box, formerly used for telecommunications equipment, down a quiet cut near some allotments at Saltburn Road, Sunderland. Newcastle Crown Court heard doctors and paramedics attended the scene but nothing could be done to save his life.

Jurors have heard Mr Hammond was described by his mum as being well liked with lots of friends and "would lift your spirits and never hurt a fly". Anthony Keating, 23, of Palmerston Road, Sunderland and Louis Whelan, 23, then of Saltburn Road, Sunderland, both deny his murder and are being tried by a jury.

Prosecutor Peter Glenser KC told the court police were alerted by an anonymous call last December that a man had fallen down some garden stairs and "smashed his face up". Mr Glenser told jurors: "The caller said the man was asleep, breathing and he had wrapped him in a blanket and placed him in a green box, similar to a telephone box. The caller refused to give his name."

Mr Glenser said the caller gave his address as Saltburn Road and police who attended the area located the box. He added: "The PC saw a man, a white male, lying on the floor. He checked the male for signs of life by shouting and shaking him. The man was cold to touch and unresponsive. There was no pulse and it was obvious the person had multiple severe head injuries.

"The police did what they could to try and resuscitate him, as did paramedics and doctors who attended but nothing could be done and his life was pronounced extinct about an hour or so later. The prosecution say the two men in the dock, Louis Whelan and Anthony Keating, between them took part in a savage assault on Blaine Hammond, punching him, kicking him, stamping on him, intending to cause him really serious injury in the living room of Louis Whelan's home address at Saltburn Road, Sunderland.

"Doing that, with the intention of causing really serious harm and causing somebody to die is murder, that's exactly what we say this is." Mr Glenser said after the pair had beaten Mr Hammond inside the house he was "ejected" out of the front door and Keating left on his moped about 15 minutes later.

The court heard after Keating left the house, Whelan went back inside, leaving Mr Hammond "injured and defenceless" outside. Mr Glenser said Whelan then sent a series of Facebook messages to try and get someone else to call an ambulance. In one such message Whelan said: "He took my £20, I've smashed him all over, he's on death's door like, he's still breathing, will you phone and ambulance."

In another he wrote: "He just tried to get £20 off me so I just brayed him all over and he's ******* dying like, need an ambulance." The court heard there were also discussions over Facebook between Whelan and Keating. Mr Glenser said Whelan then "dragged" Mr Hammond across Saltburn Road and intothe green cabin.

The court heard Mr Hammond may have suffered up to 13 blows to his head and had abrasions and fractured nasal bones. Mr Glenser said Mr Hammond's injuries were "consistent with kicking and or stamping" and he was "dragged feet first while he was still alive".

Keating and Whelan both deny murder and the court heard they now "each blame the other". The trial continues.