The family of murdered retired soldier Geoffrey Leeming have visited the death scene with the man who must decide if they stand trial for conspiring to kill him. Picture: Sandra Keen, left, stands with Jackie Leeming, while Paul Worsley QC, leading for the prosecution raises his arm. Trevor Cox, centre, represents accountant Malcolm Herbert. Guy Hodgson, the stipendiary magistrate, is reading a file and Jayne and Stephen Leeming are on the right

Mr Leeming's widow, Jackie, 55, and his children, Stephen, 33, and Jayne, 30, and their lawyers accompanied stipendiary magistrate Guy Hodgson to 17 Linley Avenue, Haxby, Mr Leeming's former home.

The 63-year-old man died with 11 knife wounds on the evening of October 9, 1996 in its garage.

Detective Chief Inspector John Lacy, of York police, the senior investigating officer, earlier told the magistrate: "We do not know who killed him."

He added: "We came to the conclusion who else could be responsible other than the family?"

Police concluded it was a financially-motivated killing.

The magistrate inspected the area where the murder weapon was found, a sharp kitchen knife, similar to 70million made in Britain.

He then walked down Linley Avenue to Number 17, no longer occupied by the Leemings, looked at the drive and its back garden and went into the garage.

During the half-hour visit to Haxby he also looked at other sites very close to the bungalow at No 17.

Prosecutor Paul Worsley QC asked him to make the site visit as part of the committal hearings to decide if the Leeming family and company secretary Malcolm Herbert, 37, should be sent to crown court accused of conspiring to murder Geoffrey Leeming and fraudulent trading involving the family firm, Leeming Drains Services Ltd.

The Leemings contest both charges, and the accountant, of Stray Road, Heworth, the murder conspiracy charge.

At York Magistrates Court, DCI Lacy said police spent three weeks planning the arrest and interviews of all four accused last July.

They had called in specialists in interview techniques from Northumberland.

During the murder investigation, police had interviewed 1,300 people and taken 600 statements.

DCI Lacy alleged that on the night Mr Leeming died he had asked Jackie Leeming if she was responsible.

She had looked him straight in the eye and said: "No".

Jayne Leeming had said she was innocent when summoned for conspiracy for murder, the court heard.

Mr Hodgson also heard claims that directors of the company and their families received £87,000 from the firm between January and October 1996.

During the same period the company had allegedly been unable to meet its debts as they fell due, some of its cheques had bounced, bailiffs had visited it more than once, it had faced a small number of county court summonses and had a number of pressing demands from the Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise.

The company had allegedly paid the mortgage for Grange Farm, Stockton-on-the-Forest, its base, and at that time the home of Stephen Leeming.

He had allegedly not made rent or mortgage payments.

Jayne Leeming had not been a director or company secretary and it was not clear whether or not she was an employee at the time, claimed forensic accountant Liselle Hemingfield, of Price Waterhouse Cooper.

The company has since ceased trading.

The hearing continues.

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