Verdict due in burned body trial

Debra Carne's burned body was left in a lay-by

The jury is considering its verdict in the trial of three people who deny murdering an Essex teenager set alight after being doused in petrol.

Chelmsford Crown Court was told Debra Carne, 17, of Sible Hedingham, died after a row about a boyfriend.

Tests showed she had been asphyxiated before being set alight.

Steven Wood, 23, of Halstead, Kerry Bauer, 21, of Braintree, and Nicole Hollinshead, 19, deny murder and conspiring to inflict bodily harm.

Miss Hollinshead also denies impeding the arrest of others.

Ambush plot

Miss Carne's body was left burning in an isolated lay-by late at night near her home on 28 July 2002.

Jurors were told the accused murdered Miss Carne, then burned her belongings after hatching a plot to ambush her.

The jury was told that Emma Last, 18, also of Braintree, had admitted murder.

Martyn Levett, prosecuting, said Mr Wood and Miss Hollinshead had been living together but had separated after a "tiff" shortly before Miss Carne's death.

Bauer said she would throw petrol over Debra Martyn Levett, prosecuting

A few days before the killing, Mr Wood had spent the night at the home Miss Carne shared with her mother, Heather Knight.

He told Ms Knight that he had "dumped Nicole in preference to Debra", and Miss Hollinshead became jealous Mr Levett said.

Mr Wood and Miss Hollinshead had got back together and during a visit to Emma Last and Miss Bauer at their Braintree hostel, Miss Carne rang Miss Hollinshead to say that Mr Wood had made advances to her.

Mr Wood denied this when challenged by an angry Miss Hollinshead who gained the support of Miss Bauer and Last.

The four were overheard by other hostel residents hatching a plot to "get their own back" on Miss Carne.

"Bauer said she would throw petrol over Debra," said Mr Levett.

"Emma Last said she would also throw it over her and set fire to her. Emma Last said she would stab Debra as well."

Melted watch

Mr Wood filled an empty litre bottle with petrol at a garage and had then called Miss Carne to lure her to the lay-by where Miss Bauer and Miss Last were waiting to attack her, Mr Levett said.

Miss Hollinshead had waited at the hostel to provide the other three with alibis.

Miss Carne was killed 15 minutes after leaving home shortly before 2200 BST, he said.

The fire had melted her watch and forensic tests showed that it had stopped at 10.07pm.

He said the four had then driven to a field 30 miles from where Miss Carne had been left to burn her handbag and destroy the clothes her killers had been wearing.