'Man laughed after organist murder'

A church organist was battered to death with a pick-axe handle and another weapon by two men who were spotted laughing after they set upon him on Christmas Eve, prosecutors have said.

Alan Greaves, 68, was attacked as he walked to St Saviour's Church in High Green, Sheffield, for Midnight Mass on December 24.

Mr Greaves died from severe head injuries in hospital three days later.

Opening the prosecution case at Sheffield Crown Court, Robert Smith QC told the jury that Mr Greaves was attacked by Jonathan Bowling and Ashley Foster as he walked to the service to play the organ - something he had done for 40 years. Mr Smith said Bowling and Foster were spotted shortly afterwards, laughing in a park.

The prosecutor said a pick-axe handle was used along with another unidentified weapon to inflict "grave and catastrophic" head injuries.

Foster, 22, of Carwood Way, Pitsmoor, Sheffield, denies one count of murder. As his trial began, he sat in the dock with a security guard and an intermediary, wearing a blue jumper over an open-neck blue shirt and black trousers.

The jury was told that Bowling, also 22, of Wesley Road, High Green, has already admitted murdering Mr Greaves.

Mr Smith said nothing was taken from Mr Greaves and robbery did not appear to be the motive for the attack. He said Bowling and Foster were close, like brothers. Before the attack they had been at a house in High Green, drinking lager and Bacardi-and-Cokes.

The jury was told about the extensive injuries Mr Greaves suffered. A post-mortem examination showed he had been hit at least three times. Mr Smith said part of his head was hit so hard that the bones splintered into a number of pieces. One of these bone pieces was found at the scene of the attack.

Mr Smith said a pick-axe was found at Bowling's sister's home. He said a fragment of wood found embedded in Mr Greaves's injuries has been matched to this weapon. But the prosecutor said scientific analysis of the pensioner's damaged hat showed that a second weapon must have been used in the assault.