Man 'killed for informing police'

Mr Breaks said he confessed to the murder to protect his sister

A man accused of murdering his sister's boyfriend said two other men killed him after he had informed on them to police, Liverpool Crown Court heard.

The body of 40-year-old Simon Sutton was found wrapped in bin bags in Argyle Street South in Birkenhead, Merseyside, in April. He had been beaten to death.

Daniel Breaks, 48, said he confessed to the killing because the same two men had threatened to attack his sister.

He denies murder, kidnap, conspiracy to blackmail and false imprisonment.

Blackmail plot

The jury was earlier told that Mr Breaks, from Allerton, Liverpool, had killed the victim because he suspected him of reporting a blackmail plot he was allegedly involved in.

He is in the dock with Jason Sutton, 28, the dead man's brother. The pair are accused of hatching a plot to blackmail HSBC in Grey Street, Newcastle of £300,000.

Jason Sutton, of Birkenhead, Merseyside, denies conspiracy to blackmail.

All I was worried about was my sister being attacked so I made the decision to confess to killing Simon Sutton Simon Breaks, defendant

Liverpool Crown Court heard previously that after battering Simon Sutton, Mr Breaks then attacked his sister and afterwards fled to Durham where he kidnapped an elderly couple at knife point.

Mr Breaks told the court he was present when Simon Sutton was killed by two other men but said in his defence: "All I was worried about was my sister being attacked so I made the decision to confess to killing Simon Sutton.

"I made the decision on the Tuesday that I would go about incriminating myself by getting people to the house and telling them I had killed him."

When Mr Breaks was interviewed after being arrested on 21 April he told detectives his sister and his girlfriend Helen White were part of a conspiracy to murder Sutton, the court heard.

However, he told the jury he only said that because officers threatened to arrest his poorly, 72-year-old mother unless he implicated the two women.

The trial was adjourned until Tuesday.