A man was murdered in a sustained assault and dragged dying into the street where his body was found, Bradford Crown Court heard today.

Three men are on trial charged with the murder of Paul Ackroyd in the early hours of February 23, 2019.

Alex Bates, 19, of Eastfield Gardens, Holme Wood, Bradford; Rashpal Singh Gill, 40, of Leeds Road, Bradford; and Mohammed Jawaid Khan, 53, of Leylands Lane, Heaton, Bradford, all plead not guilty.

Kirsty Rushworth, 32, of Walker Avenue, Lidget Green, Bradford, denies assisting an offender by removing Mr Ackroyd’s body from a flat at 10 Jinnah Court, Manningham, Bradford.

Gill and Khan also plead not guilty to that charge.

The jury at Bradford Crown Court was told that Bates and Khan have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and Gill has admitted being concerned in the supply of cocaine.

Prosecutor Peter Moulson QC said that Mr Ackroyd, known as Acky, died as a result of injuries he sustained following an assault. While he was dying his body was dragged out of the flat by Gill, Khan and Rushworth, it is alleged.

The jury heard there were allegations of the supply of Class A drugs from the flat from the summer of 2018 until the time of Mr Ackroyd’s death.

Mr Moulson said only the defendants and Mr Ackroyd, 37, were present in the flat when the injuries were inflicted.

Bates told the police he acted in self-defence, claiming Mr Ackroyd attacked him and tried to steal his drugs.

The jury heard that pathologist, Dr Kirsten Hope, found no defensive injuries on Mr Ackroyd’s body, typically caused by trying to fend off an attack.

His blood was found on Gill’s and Khan’s footwear and clothing. They said they dragged him from the flat but deny assaulting him or encouraging any assault.

Mr Moulson said that Rushworth’s DNA was found on the pocket of Mr Ackroyd’s jeans. She used the false name Miah to call the emergency services that night.

Examination of the flat revealed a hammer behind a curtain and wheel braces, a chisel and a skewer at the address. There were no scientific findings to show they were used in the assault.

“It might be that the weapon or weapons used to assault Mr Ackroyd were disposed of by one or more of the defendants before the police arrived at 10 Jinnah Court,” Mr Moulson said.

Mr Ackroyd’s wallet, found near to his body outside the flat, was empty of cash and his pockets had been searched, the jury was told.

Dr Hope found that he had sustained multiple blunt force impacts to the head, including a fracture of the left temporal bone.

“The size and nature of the underlying depressed skull fracture is typical of being struck by a blunt object with a circular end, such as a hammer or a rod,” the court heard.

Mr Moulson said: “In summary, the overall pattern of injuries sustained by Mr Ackroyd is, in the opinion of Dr Hope, typical of a forceful assault in the form of blows landed by one or more implements and may also have included forceful punches, kicks and or stamps, with death occurring as a consequence of a head injury.”

There was a large area of bruising to the both sides of the torso and shoulders, substantial bruising under both armpits, consistent with Mr Ackroyd being grabbed under the arms and dragged, and significant bruising to his upper arms.

Continuing his opening of the prosecution case, Mr Moulson told the jury that Mr Ackroyd was dead when the emergency services arrived at the scene.

There were signs of assault-related injuries on his body. He was not wearing any shoes and the position of his clothing was likely to be the result of him being dragged through the premises and on to the street.

He had been drinking alcohol and he had recently taken cocaine, Mr Moulson said.

Bates, who had left the scene by taxi, made no comment to all police questions.

Gill said Alex, who had the nickname AJ, had assaulted Mr Ackroyd and no one else was involved. Gill and Rushworth then moved him from the flat.

Khan said he had known Gill, known as Raj, for a couple of years and he called him Uncle. He had known Rushworth for a few months and she was a friend.

In a prepared statement, Khan said: “I have not seen the victim and I have not touched the victim.”

He later reiterated that he didn’t go outside, that he had never seen Mr Ackroyd and that he didn’t see anything or know anything.

Rushworth said she had walked to “Khany’s flat” and she could see a man laid outside. She could tell he wasn’t in a good way so she called 999 using a false name. She thought he was drunk and had fallen over.

Mr Moulson said Bates now said he was acting in self-defence and Gill and Khan contended that they did not participate in or encourage any assault of any type upon Mr Ackroyd.

Mr Moulson told the jurors: “Please bear in mind that the prosecution brings the case against each defendant. If at the conclusion of the case you are sure of a defendant’s guilt on a particular count on the indictment then your verdict should be guilty – if you are not sure of the guilt of a defendant on a particular count then your verdict should be not guilty.

“Bear in mind that Bates raises the defence of self-defence. Where that is raised it is for the prosecution to prove, so that you are sure about it, that he was not acting in reasonable self-defence.”

The jury has now gone home for the day and the trial will resume tomorrow morning.

The trial in front of the Recorder of Bradford, Judge Richard Mansell QC, continues.