'Body in the barrel' murder trial: Suspect did not murder lodger in shooting over antique gun theft, jury told
The prosecution described the case as the ‘body in the barrel’ murder
A man accused of murdering his lodger and storing his remains in a barrel denies shooting and killing him.
Richard Dyson was 55 when he was last seen alive in November 2019, when he never appeared for a planned meet up with his daughter, Bethany.
He was then reported missing.
The search for Mr Dyson continued for until July 14, 2025, when his “neatly severed” remains were found inside a barrel filled with concrete on a trailer located on Broadcarr Road, Barnsley.
Mr Dyson had been shot.
Christopher Wright, 73, who owns land close to where Mr Dyson’s remains were found, was charged with murder, which he denies.
He has been on trial at Sheffield Crown Court since last month.
Opening the case, Peter Moulson KC said that for several years prior to his death, Mr Dyson had been living and sleeping in one of his three vehicles which were parked at Wright’s home.
He said Wright is alleged to have murdered Mr Dyson on the evening of November 17, 2019 - almost six years before his remains were found.
“Murder victim never stole from me”
The judge, Mr Justice Cotter KC, summarised the defence evidence to the jury today (Thursday, July 23, 2026).
During Wright’s live evidence he said he did not shoot and kill Mr Dyson.
Wright also denied embarking on a “course of conduct” to conceal killing Mr Dyson, and said he did not recruit his best friend, and co-accused, Karl Schwalbe, to assist him with disposing of Mr Dyson’s body.
Wright said the last time he saw Mr Dyson was as he was leaving to go to a shop on November 17, 2019.
And shortly before that he helped Mr Dyson get his starter motor to work.
Prosecutors previously suggested that jurors may find there is evidence to suggest Mr Dyson stole firearms from Wright’s antique collection and sold them on.
“It may be that Wright would have been very angry about such thefts, and it may be that Wright’s motive for the murder of Mr Dyson arose out of those thefts,” Mr Moulson said previously.
But during his evidence, Wright denied getting “angry” with Mr Dyson.
“He said Richard Dyson had never stolen anything from him, as far as he was aware,” Mr Justice Cotter said.
The jury was previously given transcripts of covert recordings taken by police, the first of which is alleged to have captured a conversation between the two defendants inside a car at Barnsley police station after being interviewed in March 2021.
During the conversation, Schwalbe tells Wright “I wish you hadn’t phoned me that night” and admits he thought “f***” when police showed him the CCTV video of his vehicle heading towards Wright’s home on the night of the murder.
“Trailer where remains were found doesn’t belong to me,” jury told
Wright is alleged to have apologised to Schwalbe, before telling him: “Wish you didn’t come up.”
During his evidence, Wright said he did not have any recollection of the conversation.
The court heard previously that an ID badge with Wright’s name on it was found inside the trailer which contained the barrel in which Mr Dyson’s remains were stored.
Wright told jurors the last time he saw that ID badge was in 1985, adding he had “no idea” how it came to be there.
Wright also said he did not own the trailer. He said the first time he had ever seen the man who claims to have sold the trailer to him was “in the witness box”.
The land where Mr Dyson’s remains were stored belongs to a farmer, who is believed to have been friends with Wright for some 40 years.
Wright said he did not ask the farmer if he could store a trailer on his land, but acknowledged he did not know why the farmer would have reason to lie about it.
A second covert recording is alleged to have captured Wright praying in the hotel room he was moved to, as police searched his home in the days after Mr Dyson’s remains were discovered.
During one of the prayers, Wright appears to ask for the police to “miss items” during their search.
The transcript shown to the jury reads: “I do not want to be prosecuted further. May they not find anything, hopefully not.”
In a second apparent prayer, Wright appears to ask the Lord to grant him “absolution”.
He is also alleged to have said: “People who I helped have bit my hand.”
Murder accused responds to evidence from covert recordings
When asked about the prayers, Wright said he had limited memory of what he said during that time.
He acknowledged that when he said “absolution” it referred to “forgiveness,” but explained that his sister had died just days before the recording, which had taken a toll on his mental health.
Wright said he was referring to other individuals, when he spoke about people who had “bit his hand”.
He denied being a weapons “fantatic” but agreed he was a collector.
Mr Justice Cotter also summarised the defence case for Schwalbe, who also gave live evidence to the jury.
Defence case of man accused of perverting course of justice
He denied going to Wright’s home on the night the murder is alleged to have taken place, and said he was at “home in bed.”
Schwalbe told the court that a Toyota Hilux vehicle captured on CCTV a short distance from Wright’s home, was “not mine.”
He said he remembers taking a call from Wright that evening, but does not remember the precise contents of the conversation, and said they would have just been speaking “generally.”
Schwalbe described the timing of the phonecall as a “dreadful coincidence”.
Charges faced by the defendants
Wright is accused of murder, preventing a lawful burial and weapon offences including possessing prohibited firearms, possessing firearms including a shotgun and ammunition without certificates.
Wright, of Sheffield Road, Hoyland and Schwalbe, of Dike Hill, Harley, Rotherham, are both charged with perverting the course of justice.
The defendants deny the charges.
The trial continues.