A JURY heard how caretaker Bryan 'Joe' Platt suffered 43 head and neck injuries in the "sustained and forceful assault" which killed him.

Home Office pathologist Dr Charles Wilson told Preston Crown Court the attack was "severe" and said he suffered a 10-inch long cut from the left-hand side of his head above his eyebrow to the back of his head.

Gavin Cox, 25, of Park Road, Waterfoot, denies murdering Mr Platt at Nunnhills Mill, Blackwood Road, Stacksteads on February 10.

His girlfriend at the time, Sarah Bugat, 32, of Church Street, Stacksteads, denies handling stolen goods.

Dr Wilson said: "He suffered at least 11 separate blows and almost certainly more than 11 blows. There were so many injuries to the outside of his head I could not determine exactly what caused the injuries to his body but what I would say is that the bruising on his body was in keeping with a number of blows from a blunt instrument.

"It was a sustained and forceful assault. There were a lot of injuries on this man, some of them deep, and had been inflicted with a degree of force." Mr Platt also suffered broken bones in his face and three fractured ribs.

Mr Platt, 74, of Sycamore Close, Burnley, had worked for Calder Marketing at the Stacksteads factory for nine years.

Scenes of crime officer Carolyn Shearer detailed photographs she had taken of the crime scene which showed blood spots or splashes evident in parts of the mill.

Anna Evans, an assistant at the Late Shop in Waterfoot, told the jury she had seen Cox and Bugat in the shop at 10.45pm on February 10. She said: "I saw a man and a woman coming in. I knew the woman was Sarah and I recognised the man.

"She was saying how she could not believe it: 'I can't believe you would do something like that. What did you think you were doing?' He was being quiet, saying: 'Ssh' trying to keep her quiet."

Miss Evans described seeing Cox wave money around when he got to the till and said Sarah had said: "What do you think I am? I'm not taking that."

(Proceeding)