A security guard accused of trying to murder a man near York had face masks, rope, gaffer tape and cable-ties in his bedroom, a jury heard.

Police found the items when they went to Jack Crawley's home after arresting him on suspicion of murdering a Cumberland Infirmary catering manager in Cumbria.

Beneath decking in the garden of 20-year-old Jack Crawley's home they also found a bottle of the “sex” chemical Pentyl, or "poppers", identical to ones that were bought by 56-year-old Paul Taylor, the man he is accused of murdering.

Crawley told them he sold "poppers" to people via social media platforms including Grindr.

The prosecution claim that after he was released on bail Crawley met the first man on Grindr, lured him to a remote place near York and tried to kill him 

Crawley, 20, denies attempting to murder the first  man near York, and an alternative charge of intentionally causing him grievous bodily harm. He  struck the man with a hammer, he said, in self-defence after he was threatened.

He admits the manslaughter of Mr Taylor, who worked at the same hospital as him, but denies murdering him.

On day three of the trial at Carlisle Crown Court, prosecutor David McLachlan KC continued taking the jury through the evidence, including details of what police found in a search of Crawley’s Sheehan Crescent home.

They included a “pig mask” and a skull-face mask, as well as the gaffer tape, rope and cable ties.

Police also found a scrap of paper on which was written the name of a YouTube psychiatrist and the word “narcissism".

Crawley (pictured below) told the police that he carried rubber gloves in his rucksack for his hospital security work, as this involved infection risk while working with injured people in A&E.Jack Crawley

Referring to the bottle of Pentyl  – known also as ‘poppers,’ and identical to the ones bought by Paul Taylor in the Private Shop on Carlisle’s London Road - Mr McLachlan said there were DNA traces on the lid.

There were, in fact, DNA traces from three people, but an expert said analysis provided “extremely strong support” for it including Paul Taylor’s DNA.

Found with the Pentyl was an orange handled knife.

In police interviews after he was first arrested, he denied involvement in the death of Paul Taylor.

Asked about his sexuality, Crawley said: “It doesn’t really bother me; people can choose their sexuality. It’s up to them.” He could not discriminate, he said, against anybody when he worked on the doors in security in Carlisle.

He gave “no comment” answers to all other questions.

In another interview, he claimed he sold cannabis and "poppers" and that Grindr was among social media platforms he used to communicate with his customers. 

Of the attempted murder allegation, the prosecution say what happened in York was almost a "carbon copy" of what Crawley did to Mr Taylor, whose skull was badly damaged when police recovered his body.

The trial will resume on Monday.

In the meantime, Crawley remains remanded in custody while Goodfellow, of Greystsone Road, Carlisle, has been granted conditional bail.