Havant man Robert Cahill 'hid murder suspect in flat'
- 26 November 2013
- From the section Hampshire & Isle of Wight
A man hid a murder suspect in his flat, buying him clothing and food to help him avoid arrest, a court has heard.
Robert Cahill is charged with assisting an offender, following the stab murder of a 27-year-old father at a house party in Hampshire, in April 2012.
At Winchester Crown Court, Mr Cahill, 24, of Broadmere Avenue, Havant, denied the charge.
The court heard Sean Bailey was jailed for life in December for murdering Simon Warton in Waterlooville.
Jane Terry, prosecuting, told the jury Mr Cahill hid Bailey in his Southampton House flat, despite there being widespread media coverage of police appealing for the public's help to trace him.
A police officer, referred to in court as "Officer A", recalled how Bailey was arrested two days after the killing, on 12 April, when firearms officers entered the flat and found him "slumped and confused" on the sofa.
When arrested and interviewed, Mr Cahill gave no response to any of the questions from officers, prosecutors said.
Victoria Maude, defence counsel, said her client had nothing to do with the case.
"There are no texts, calls or Facebook messages linking him to Sean Bailey," she said.
"He was not linked to the murder, not directly or indirectly."
The trial continues.