Three 'vigilantes lured neighbour to flat, stabbed him 150 times then pulled out his fingernails

Three vigilantes lured a convicted child killer to a flat and stabbed him 150 times after he moved into their quiet Welsh village, a court has heard.

Darren Evesham, 47, David Osbourne, 51 and Ieuan Harley, 23, allegedly stabbed their new neighbour David Gaut to death after he was released from a 33 year jail term.

Gaut, 54, had previously been jailed for murdering a 17-month-old boy, Newport Crown Court heard

He had moved into a flat next door to Osborne in the village of New Tredegar, Gwent after being released from prison, prosecutors said today.

The three men allegedly lured Gaut into Osborne's flat where they brutally murdered him, before dragging his dead body back next door and trying to clean up the crime scene.

Gaut was stabbed more than 150 times with knives and a screwdriver before having his fingernails ripped out and his neck suffered severe cuts after his death, the court heard.

Osborne had discovered Gaut's past on the internet and Harley said: 'I want to chop him up and put him down the plughole,' the jury were told. 


Prosecutor Ben Douglas-Jones QC said: 'Osbourne who triggered the murder by luring the deceased over to his house in the context of knowing Mr Gaut had killed a child when he was 21.

'Osbourne knew when he invited him over of Harley's reaction towards him - he not only talked about 'chopping him up' but was aggressive.

'The murder may have been driven by Harley's aggression and anger.

'The main aggressor was no doubt Harley. His handprint was in the deceased's blood. He tried to clean himself up but no doubt left traces.

'By the moment Mr Gaut was invited, all three men intended to kill or at least do really serious harm to Mr Gaut.'

The prosecutor added: 'He was duly lured to the flat and he was stabbed to death. After the murder all three men played an active part in moving the body back to his own home.

'They dragged him down a covered walkway. They cleaned Osbourne's flat and tried to get rid of bloodied clothing and they set fire to a car, the prosecution say, to destroy incriminating items.

'They thus, on the basis of what happened after the murder, face a count of perverting the course of justice.'





MailOnline