text: Two thieves murdered a pensioner and dumped his body in an abandoned mine then made it look like a cycling accident, a court heard today. Kevin Cooper and Trewen Kevern allegedly beat David Alderson and left him to drown, before using his keys to steal £40,000 from a safe where he also kept a haul of guns. Police originally thought that the 72-year-old victim - a keen cyclist - had died as a result of falling from his bike, because he was dressed in lycra at the time. Killed: David Alderson was found dead in an abandoned copper mine in January last year . But Truro Crown Court heard that Kevern, 22 and Cooper, 34 - two cousins whose relatives were close to Mr Alderson - lured him to a disused mine at Wheal Maid near Carharrack in Devon and killed him in January last year. Prosecutor Martin Meeke QC told the jury: 'David Alderson was beaten about the head, possibly until he was unconscious. His body was dragged to a pond into which he was dumped face down. 'In the pond he drowned. “Whether his head was forced down into the water we cannot be sure. The only survivors were these defendants.”' Trial: Kevin Cooper is accused of murdering Mr Alderson alongside his cousin Trewen Kevern . Cooper and Kevern then went to the victim's flat in Falmouth and used his stolen keys to steal £40,000 in cash which he kept in a safe. Mr Meeke said of Mr Alderson: '”He was a keen cyclist and frequently to be seen around Falmouth on a racing bike. He often wore cycling shoes and leggings even when he was not on his bike. '“He was wearing such an outfit when his body was found in the pond. It was at first thought that he had a cycling accident. '“Cycling was not his only interest. Another interest was guns. He had a collection of guns. All the guns were licensed and were legally held by David Alderson. There were ten of them there.” 'He was a member of the Land’s End Shooting Club and he had a substantial amount of ammunition at his flat –- the guns and ammo were held in two different safes in his flat.' The jury heard that Mr Alderson, who kept the keys to his flat, car and safe on a cord round his neck, was 'not short of cash' and had once withdrawn more than £43,000 in £50 notes from his local bank. He was planning to buy a third safe for 'something highly illegal', believed to be two unlicensed guns, the court was told. Kevern's sister Tammy lived in a flat below Mr Alderson, and grew close to the pensioner before his death, calling him 'granddad', jurors heard. Discovery: Mr Alderson's body was found at the Wheal Maid mine in Cornwall . Mr Alderson gave Tammy a £1,000 gift and changed the terms of his will to leave his estate to her instead of his own estranged children. Mr Meeke said that on the night of his death, Cooper had lured Mr Alderson to the disused copper mine by making him think he was collecting the illegal guns he wanted. After they killed him, Cooper and Kevern made up a cover story about robbing a travellers' site in order to hide the truth from their family, the court heard. Both defendants deny murder. The trial continues. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.
target: David Alderson, 72, was found dead in a Cornish copper mine last January .
  Police thought he had died in a cycling accident but Kevin Cooper and Trewen Kevern and now accused of murdering him .
  Court hears they lured victim to mine by offering to sell him illegal guns .
  Defendants 'beat pensioner around head and left him face down in pond'