A TEENAGER went to the pub after allegedly killing his schoolboy lover and leaving his body in a woodland, a court heard today.
Matthew Mason, 19, allegedly bludgeoned Alex Rodda, 15, to death with a wrench in Ashley, Cheshire, on December 12 last year.
Alex was found partially clothed by refuse collectors on December 13 after he was reported missing.
Yesterday, Chester Crown Court heard how the pair had “enjoyed an intimate sexual relationship” but Alex was “threatening” to post explicit photos and videos Mason had allegedly sent him.
By November 23, Mason had paid £2,020 to Alex, jurors were told.
The court heard Alex was openly gay and attended Holmes Chapel school.
He had known Mason “for some months” leading up to his death, it was said.
Mason lived with his family on a farm near Knutsford, Cheshire.
On the second day of the trial today, Ian Unsworth QC, prosecuting, said Mason had searched the internet for “what would happen if you kicked someone down the stairs” on December 6.
Other searches included “everyday poison” and “the mysteries of Cheshire unsolved deaths of missing people”.
Mr Unsworth said: “The prosecution say the inference is clear from these searches. The defendant had murder on his mind.”
On December 12, Alex, a pupil at Holmes Chapel High School, told a friend he was meeting a “guy” who wanted him to go to a “special” or “secret” place in a forest.
He was picked up by Mason, who drove to the area of woodland where Alex’s body was found the following morning, the jury was told.
Mr Unsworth said Mason’s Renault Clio was in the area for at least 35 minutes.
He said: “It was during that time that the prosecution suggest that Alex was subjected to a brutal, horrific and violent attack at the hands of this defendant.”
After driving away from the woods, Mason met some friends in the Red Lion pub in Pickmere.
He told them he had had a nosebleed, pointing to spots of blood on his jeans, the court heard.
He then said he was leaving to meet the Young Farmers at the Golden Pheasant pub in Plumley, where he arrived shortly after 8pm, Mr Unsworth said.
He told the court: “As described by one who knew him, he appeared to be his normal happy self.”
Mason left the pub after about 90 minutes and later sent his girlfriend a goodnight photo of him smiling with no top on, Mr Unsworth said.
Yesterday, jurors were told the Alex had messaged Mason’s girlfriend on November 3.
The text said: “I thought I should let you know that the past 2-3 weeks Matt has been trying to message me he came to my house in his car to meet me last week but I told him my dad wouldn’t let me out so I didn’t meet him.
“I have told him it has to stop but just thought I’d let you know before he does a d***head move and I didn’t know he was dating you until I went to go follow him on lnstagram.”
Alex also said Mason was “flirty” and claimed he sent him a picture of his privates and an explicit video, jurors were told.
The court heard how Mason denied sending the items but began making payments to Alex’s bank account at the same time.
Alex had told a pal Mason was paying him for sex and said he would report him to police if he stopped, it was said.
Mr Unsworth said: “The messages that have been recovered show that, over time, the defendant was complaining that the payments were cleaning him out.”
The court heard Alex’s mother, Lisa Rodda, began to call his friends when he failed to answer phone calls the night he disappeared.
She eventually contacted Mason, who told her Alex had gone into Manchester with friends.
The jury was shown CCTV of Mason’s car returning to the woods after 1am, where it remained for about an hour.
Mr Unsworth told jurors they must consider whether Mason had intended to move Alex’s body.
Mason, of Ash Lane, Ollerton, denies murder.
The trial continues.
