Teenager 'too scared' to stop killing

Some of Adam's remains were found in the town's canal

A teenage girl who took part in a brutal attack on a schoolboy did nothing to stop his strangulation because she was too scared, a court has heard.

Sarah Morris, 17, joined in with a gang of friends as they punched, kicked and stamped on 14-year-old Adam Morrell in Loughborough, Leicestershire in November 2002.

The Loughborough schoolboy, who suffered more than 280 injuries to his body, was then killed and his body chopped up and wrapped in plastic bags, a jury was told.

Morris, along with her ex-boyfriend Matthew Welsh, 19, and Daniel Biggs, 19, all deny murdering the schoolboy.

Deadly game

Welsh and Morris have admitted causing grievous bodily harm to the schoolboy but not with intent to do so, while Biggs denies any involvement in the attack.

No one has implicated her at all in the physical killing of Adam or in any agreement or encouragement to kill him Frances Oldham, QC

Nathan Barnett, 27, has pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

All four have pleaded guilty to conspiring to pervert the course of justice.

A jury at Nottingham Crown Court has heard that Adam was subjected to an assault lasting up to three hours after the gang had been drinking and taking Ecstasy.

Boiling water mixed with sugar was also poured on his body by Barnett, leaving him with horrific burns.

Barnett and Biggs then allegedly played the children's game paper, scissors, stone to decide who would kill the victim.

The court has heard that Barnett admitted strangling the boy and chopping his body up with a saw, wrapping the dismembered parts in black plastic bags before concealing them in various places around the town.

Adam's body parts were found scattered around Loughborough

Mrs Frances Oldham QC, defending Morris, told the jury she was the only member of the gang that had ever shown any remorse for what had happened to the young boy.

She said Morris, who had been living in a homeless hostel, had moved in with Welsh and Barnett in Havelock Street in Loughborough only two weeks before the attack.

She said: "Sarah Morris was not a player in that household - not a dominant character in any way and of all the characters the one who came last into that group.

"No one has implicated her at all in the physical killing of Adam or in any agreement or encouragement to kill him.

"She said 'I was scared' and you may well imagine that she was when they realised the enormity of what had been done."

Mr Justice Morland adjourned the trial until Monday when he was expected to sum up the case.