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Peter McMahon murder trial: Taxi driver tells court he struggled to lift 'heavy suitcase'
A taxi driver who picked up murder suspect Sharon Swinhoe noticed her suitcase was 'heavier than normal'
A taxi driver who picked up murder suspect Sharon Swinhoe noticed her suitcase was “heavier than normal”.
Prosecutors claim the body of Peter McMahon was in the case when Swinhoe called a cab to her home in Walker.
Cabbie Stephen Carr told a murder jury how he noticed the large suitcase was heavy when he picked it up and put it in his boot.
It is alleged Swinhoe, Joseph Collins and Ronald Douglas murdered Mr McMahon, moved his body in the case then hid it in a freezer.
Mr Carr, who works for Walker Taxis, told Newcastle Crown Court he was sent to Swinhoe’s home around 6.30pm on November 17 last year.
He said: “When I first saw the suitcase I thought it was large – it was a holiday one.
“When I put it in the boot I noticed it was heavy. If they have clothes in I can pick them up easily. This was heavier than normal.
“I couldn’t lift it up holding it by the handle so I put my hand underneath it and picked it up.”
Mr Carr said Swinhoe then went away for five minutes and came back with a shopping trolley, which also went in the boot.
Swinhoe asked to be taken to Westmoreland Road, near Cruddas Park, where she was met by a man who took the case from the boot.
Mr Carr said: “There was a man standing at the bus stop, I thought he was waiting for a bus but as I saw her getting the fare money the boot opened and the man at the bus stop had got the suitcase out of the car.”
Mr McMahon’s friend, Tony Battista, said the 68-year-old had told him Swinhoe had attacked him in the past, and he had seen him covered in scratches. He also said he was aware she had kept his bank card and passport, and had taken money out of his account.
Mr Battista said the last time he saw him was on October 18 last year, the day on which prosecutors say Mr McMahon went round to Swinhoe’s, giddy at the thought of a possible reunion with her.
The next day, Mr Battista tried to phone Mr McMahon but he said Swinhoe answered and told him not to ring again.
Mr Battista said: “She said Peter was with her and he didn’t want anymore to do with me.
“She was pretty abusive, she told me not to ring again and hung up.”
Mr Battista was becoming increasingly concerned about his friend and sent a series of text messages, but received no reply.
Around a week after last seeing him he called again. He said: “Sharon answered the phone and she said ‘I’ve told you not to ring this phone, Peter and me are getting married, just leave him alone’. She was aggressive, swearing and angry.”
Mr Battista said during the call Mr McMahon came on the phone and repeated what Swinhoe had said.
He said: “It was pretty direct and Peter was not like that, it was not how he usually spoke to me.
“It was more or less word for word what Sharon had told me. It didn’t seem like he was comfortable saying what he was saying, I could tell by the tone of his voice.”
Swinhoe, 44, of Crawford Terrace, Walker, Collins, 54, of The Sycamores, and Douglas, of West Acres, Blaydon, Gateshead, all deny murder.
Collins and Douglas have admitted conspiracy to pervert the course of justice by doing acts intended to conceal the death. Swinhoe denies the same charge.
The trial continues.
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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin
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