The trial of six people who are accused of murdering Carlisle man Lee McKnight is about to enter its final phase.

At the city’s crown court, lawyers spent part of yesterday in legal discussions before the trial moves towards concluding the evidence, which will be followed by advocate speeches and a judge’s summary.

Earlier this week, the jury heard evidence from 51-year-old Paul Roberts, who is jointly accused with his 18-year-old son Jamie Lee Roberts.

Under questioning, Roberts senior repeatedly denied ever being in the Nissan Navara belonging to fellow defendant Carol Edgar, 47. The prosecution say the jeep was used to transport Lee McKnight – badly injured but still alive – from Charles Street in Carlisle to the River Caldew where he was “dumped.”

Questioned by Carol Edgar’s barrister, Roberts agreed she was “very frail-looking” at the time when Mr McKnight died, on July 24 last year. He also agreed he had heard her “protesting”about her Nissan being taken away.

Roberts senior was also questioned about a brief encounter he had with Coral Edgar, 26, the woman accused of “luring” Mr McKnight to her Charles Street home so he could be attacked.

The jury saw video footage of them talking outside a local store on the afternoon July 24, after Mr McKnight was found dead in the River Caldew.

At that time there were rumours in Carlisle that a body found in the river may be Lee McKnight, the court heard.

Asked about their conversation, Roberts said that he had not at the time associated the rumours with what happened earlier in Coral Edgar’s home in Charles Street. “That’s why I was asking Coral what she knew,” he said.

“[I asked] her what happened last night after I’d left... She didn’t say much because she was close to someone else. She was glancing at the woman next to her.

"I took it by this that she didn’t really want to talk in front of this person. I asked her if her mam was in because I wanted some gear.

She said her mam was in and Jamie Davison was asleep on the couch. I just said I’d give it a miss.”

Lee McKnight’s murder is denied by Jamie Davison, 26, of Beverley Rise, Harraby; Arron Graham, 26, of Blackwell Road, Currock, and Jamie Lee Roberts, 18, of Grey Street, Carlisle.

The prosecution say the three men meted out a severe beating to Mr McKnight because he owed a drugs debt to Davison. Murder is also denied by Coral Edgar, of Charles Street, her mum Carol Edgar, also of Charles Street, and Paul Roberts, who lives with his son in Grey Street.

The trial continues.