Sheffield murder victim told moments before attack: 'I'm like Zorro, I'm going to kill you with your own knife'

A Sheffield man murdered in a bloody attack, during which he was stabbed, beaten and slashed, was told '˜I'm like Zorro, I'm going to kill you with your own knife,' a court heard.
Craig Wild was murdered at a property in Fox Walk, Walkley on August 25 last yearCraig Wild was murdered at a property in Fox Walk, Walkley on August 25 last year
Craig Wild was murdered at a property in Fox Walk, Walkley on August 25 last year

Sheffield Crown Court heard this afternoon how Alison Moss told police that prior to the prolonged and ‘torturous’ attack on Craig Wild at her home in Fox Walk, Walkley she heard her partner David Webster threaten Mr Wild.

An extract from Moss’ interview with police, read out in court, said: “David said to Craig ‘I hope that’s a knife in your pocket. There’s something you need to know about me. I’m like Zorro, I’ll kill you with your own knife’.”

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Moss says this exchange took place shortly before the 15 minute attack on Mr Wild on August 25, 2016, during which time he suffered 117 injuries - half of which are described as ‘slash’ wounds.

She denies any involvement in Mr Wild’s murder. Moss says it was carried out solely by Webster, but while she was present in the flat.

The court was told how Moss, who was nicknamed ‘the slasher’ by Mr Wild, had attacked acquaintance Nathan Peterson with a razor blade in January last year, leaving him with slash wounds to the neck and face.

Prosecutor Andrew Robertson said Moss had similarly attempted to slash Mr Wild’s throat a fortnight before he was murdered.

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He said: “You had already tried to slash Craig’s neck, but you succeeded this time didn’t you?”

Moss denied the claim under cross examination.

Mr Robertson added: “He was slashed to his face and neck, just like you slashed Nathan Peterson’s face and neck, didn’t you?”

Moss responded: “I can’t remember where I went for him [Nathan Peterson] - it was a year ago.”

Mr Robertson suggested to Moss that she slashed Mr Wild with a razor blades that she had previously used as an implement for self-harming.

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She told the court: “No, I used a broken piece of glass from a vodka bottle.”

Evidence to submitted to the courts from pathologists suggested Mr Wild was kicked several times by people wearing two different pairs of Adidas trainers, due to drops of Mr Wild’s blood found in the seams.

One of the pairs of Adidas trainers was taken from Webster, who admits one count of murder, when he was arrested.

The other was taken from Moss’ flat, and had major traces of her DNA on them. There were also 'background' traces of Webster's DNA found on them.

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Moss told the court that the pair of trainers taken from her flat were Webster’s.

When asked why she had been seen wearing the trainers on CCTV taken hours before Mr Wild was murdered, she told the court she would wear them from 'time to time'.

Moss said she did not know how blood had been found in the seams of both pairs of trainers, and said she had been barefoot, and sitting with her hands covering her eyes as Mr Wild was fatally attacked by Webster.

Mr Robertson said: "If you are innocent, if you did not kick Craig, then the only explanation is that Mr Webster wore two pairs of trainers. That he changed from one pair to another, and then back again, during the course of the murderous attack."

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Moss replied: "They were David's. I wore them from time to time, mine were K.Swiss."

During the course of her cross-examination, Moss also told the court that she had showered while the attack on Mr Wild was taking place.

After coming back from the bathroom, Moss said she sat on the sofa with her hands covering her eyes, until police arrived on the scene and began knocking at the front and back doors of the property.

The 47-year-old said she saw police arriving on the scene as her chance to 'escape' from Webster, who she told the court was shouting and threatening her as they arrived.

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Mr Robertson said: "When the police came all was quiet. The police say they were trying to get you to open the door, to gain access to the property for 40 minutes.

"They could hear you moving about. They could hear you whispering."

Moss replied: "David was talking to himself, I didn't say a word."

Mr Robertson continued: "You were trying to prepare your defense. You knew the police were outside, and you knew there was a dead body inside.

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"You started cleaning up using bleach. All this about going for a shower mid-assault is nonsense."

Forensic Pathologist Laura Lewis told the court last week that Mr Wild was killed with at least three implements taken from the murder scene - a Phillips' head screwdriver, a wooden-handled kitchen knife, and a black-handled kitchen knife.

However, due to the large volume of Mr Wild's blood present on all three weapons, Ms Lewis said it was not possible to find traces of anyone else's DNA on them.

The trial continues.