Prosecution opens its case in Lindsay Birbeck murder trial

A 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, stands accused of the murder of the 47-year-old mother-of-two on August 12th last year.

Preston Crown Court saw a a packed press and public gallery for the first day of the trial this week when a jury of 11 women and one man were selected to hear the evidence over what is expected to be three weeks.

Following a huge public search that lasted several days, Lindsay's body was found in Accrington Cemetery on August 24th last year. She had been missing since August 12th.

A post-mortem examination showed she died as a result of compression of the neck.

On August 31st detectives charged the then 16-year-old boy, from Accrington, with her murder. A post-mortem examination, conducted by Home Office pathologist Dr Naomi Carter, revealed that Lindsay had died from neck injuries caused by some form of severe compressive force.

It is the prosecution's case that the defendant murdered Lindsay somewhere in a wooded area known locally as the Coppice, and moved her body on August 17th from there in a blue wheelie bin to a shallow grave he had dug at Accrington Cemetery.

High Court judge, Her Honour Justice Amanda Yip, this morning heard the opening statement from prosecution barrister Mr David McLachlan QC.

The court heard that on Monday, August 12th, 2019, Mrs Birbeck, who was a teaching assistant at Ightenhill Primary School in Burnley, went shopping with her daughter to The Mall in Blackburn and later to Asda in Accrington on the day she went missing.

A little after 1-30pm Lindsay Birbeck dropped her daughter off. They arranged to see each other at 6pm that night.

The plan was that Sarah and her boyfriend Brandon would go for tea that evening at Lindsay Birbeck’s house. Just after 4pm, Lindsay Birbeck left her house in Burnley Road, Accrington, and walked along Burnley Road in the direction of the Accrington town centre.

This was not unusual as she was a keep-fit enthusiast and enjoyed going for a walk. There is a Coppice (an area of woodland) near to her house where she would walk.

Mr McLachlan told the jury that just after 4pm Lindsay Birbeck was observed walking down Burnley Road in the direction of Accrington town centre by a CCTV camera.

He said: “She continued walking down Burnley Road and the last sighting of her alive was at 4-06pm from a CCTV camera on Burnley Road. This was the last time that she was captured on CCTV. She was never seen alive again.

"It is the Prosecution case that Lindsay Birbeck was killed somewhere within the area of The Coppice. However, we are unable to say exactly where she was killed.”

The court was told how on the day Lindsay went missing the defendant was spotted on CCTV at around 6-19pm on Burnley Road.

He was seen to walke down Burnley Road in the direction of Whitewell Road. He had his hood up, his tracksuit top partially unzipped and appeared to be bare chested. The cord from his tracksuit bottoms appeared to be undone and he appeared to have wet knees.

The trial continues.