Mary-Ann 'was killed in revenge'
A teenager was stabbed to death after being tortured and raped in a revenge attack by a gang, a court has heard.
Mary-Ann Leneghan, 16, and an 18-year-old friend were abducted by the gang before her body was found in Reading's Prospect Park in May 2005.
Her friend was shot in the head but survived. Six men deny charges including murder, kidnap and rape.
The Reading Crown Court trial was told they killed Mary-Ann as a reprisal after one of them was robbed.
The men thought the two girls had helped in the robbery a month earlier.
They were told throughout that they were going to die that night when the men had finished with them
Richard Latham QC
Painter Adrian Thomas, 20, of Battersea, south London; Llewellyn Adams, 24, of Balham, south London; 18-year-old Indrit Krasniqi, of Chiswick; 19-year-old Michael Johnson of Southfields and brothers Jamaile and Joshua Morally, 23 and 22, of Balham, all deny a total of nine charges.
These include one charge of murder, one charge of attempted murder, two counts of kidnap, three counts of rape and two of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
Jamaile Morally also denies a further charge of raping Mary-Ann.
Richard Latham QC told the jury that on the night of 6 May last year Mary-Ann and her 18-year-old friend were sitting in a car in the car park of the Wallingford Arms pub in Reading when they were abducted.
He said the two girls were bundled into the boot of a red Nissan Almera and driven to the Abbey guesthouse in Reading where the men booked into a room.
He said: "For the next few hours they were seriously assaulted, they were raped, they were made to smoke heroin and crack cocaine and most seriously of all they were told throughout that they were going to die that night when the men had finished with them."
He told the court the girls were then taken to Prospect Park where a pillow was placed over Mary-Ann's head before she was repeatedly stabbed to death.
'Miraculous survival'
He said a pillow was also placed over her friend's head.
"A loaded gun was placed against her forehead and it was discharged. She was instantly unconscious and she was left for dead," Mr Latham said.
"Miraculously the bullet did not kill her. It was she who raised the alarm asking for the assistance of a passer-by."
Mr Latham said the men's alleged attacks on the two victims had been to exact "revenge" for "setting up" one of their number in a robbery the previous month.
Mr Thomas was assaulted and robbed of his belongings at his Oxford Road flat on the night of 18/19 April, the court heard.
Mr Latham said Mr Thomas gathered together a group of men with a "gameplan" of driving from South London to Reading in the early hours of 6 May to take revenge on the girls.
The trial was adjourned to Monday.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/england/berkshire/4609628.stm
Published: 2006/01/13 17:46:48 GMT
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