Jury considers verdict in Alex Rodda murder trial

Jurors have retired to consider their verdict in the trial of a teenager accused of murdering a Cheshire schoolboy after paying him more than £2,000 to stop him revealing their relationship.

Matthew Mason, 19, denies the murder of 15-year-old Alex Rodda but admits bludgeoning him to death with a wrench in woodland in Ashley, Cheshire, on December 12 2019.

The farmer's son has claimed he experienced a loss of control after being blackmailed by the Holmes Chapel Comprehensive School pupil about their sexual relationship.

The jury of seven women and five men retired shortly before 11am on Wednesday.

They were told to consider a verdict of murder or of manslaughter by loss of control.

During his evidence, agricultural engineering student Mason told the court he had driven Alex to the remote spot to tell him to stop asking for money and had taken the wrench with him to "scare him''.

But he claimed Alex attacked him first.

The trial, which began on December 7, heard Alex had contacted Mason's then girlfriend, Caitlyn Lancashire, in November 2019 and told her he had been sending "flirty'' messages and an explicit picture and video.

Mason denied the allegations to his girlfriend but began making payments to Alex's bank account at around the same time.

By the time of Alex's death, Mason had transferred more than £2,200 and was asking friends and family to borrow money, the court heard.

Mason, of Ash Lane in Ollerton, near Knutsford, told the court he was straight but began questioning his sexuality after messages from Alex.

He admitted having sex with the schoolboy but said he did not believe his friends would accept him if he was gay or bisexual.