Alan Garbutt: The murder trial of a teenager is in its final stages

The 17-year-old admits he killed Alan Garbutt when the homemade shotgun accidentally went off, but prosecutors claim he shot the grandfather on purpose at point-blank range in the chest.

Jurors heard him pick up a homemade “slam gun” and start pointing at people as he was outraged when some of his illegal prescription drugs went missing.

Mr Garbutt died of a single gunshot wound to the chest after being fatally injured at his Guisborough home in the early hours of August 8 last year.

Continue reading: Teenager Denies Murdering ‘Father Figure’ Drug Dealer With Homemade ‘Slam Gun’

In their closing speeches at Teesside Crown Court, the two solicitors set out their arguments for the jury to consider as the trial enters its closing stages.

Prosecutor Peter Glenser KC said the teenager, whose name cannot be released for legal reasons, shot and killed Mr Garbutt in a “brief tantrum” when he discovered his personal stash of drugs had gone missing.

“He had an arsenal of weapons to choose from that he kept in that apartment,” he said.

“He was someone who was capable of manipulating people — whether it was through his temper, his propensity to use guns, or his propensity to hurt people, or the power of his personality.”

Alan Garbutt

The court had heard the teenager had lived at Mr Garbutt’s home for several weeks after being released from a juvenile detention center.

Peter Makepeace KC, in his defense of the teenager, asked the jury to consider that the only people who testified at the indictment were either members of the Garbutt family or customers of the drug trafficking family.

Continue reading:

If you want to read more stories why not subscribe to your Northern Echo for just £1.25 a week. Click here

He added, “They shifted the blame onto a 16-year-old because when he was arrested, he was the easiest thing in the world they could do.”

Police at the scene of the alleged murder at Helmsley House, Guisborough.

Mr Makepeace said he was portrayed as the leader of the crack house, despite not having his own magnetic card to get into the block of flats.

Judge Howard Crowson will summarize the evidence for the jury before sending it to consider their verdict.

The teenager denies a single charge of murder.