Police and prosecutors have found no evidence to directly link the Leeming family to the death of Haxby man Geoffrey Leeming, it emerged today.

But prosecutor Paul Worsley, QC, told York Magistrates Court there was "compelling circumstantial evidence" that the dead man's wife, Jackie, their two children Jayne and Stephen and accountant Malcolm Herbert had deliberately conspired to kill him to sustain their lifestyles.

Opening committal proceedings against the four, Mr Worsley said that just days after Mr Leeming's death Jayne Leeming moved into a £160,000 new home and had a lifestyle that was not to be expected from a single mother living on benefits.

Jackie Leeming told financial companies she was separated from her husband when this was not true.

Mr Worsley outlined various financial transactions involving her and Jayne Leeming.

He further alleged that Stephen Leeming was receiving considerable sums from the family firm, Leeming Drains Services Limited.

"It was a family with secrets the defendants perhaps wanted to keep from Geoffrey Leeming, the deceased," claimed Mr Worsley.

He alleged that the murder was so carefully planned and executed it could not have been done by a chance intruder.

"The prosecution case is that it was a planned murder, planned by someone with a motive for the killing.

"If, therefore, it was planned, the only people who could have been behind the killing must have been these defendants."

The four defendants, Jackie Leeming, 55 and Jayne Leeming, 30, of Plainville Lane, Wigginton, Stephen Leeming, 33, formerly of Stockton-on-the-Forest and Malcolm Herbert, 37, of Stray Road, Heworth all contest the committal.

They are all accused of conspiring to murder Geoffrey Leeming and fraudulent trading involving Leeming Drains Services Limited.

Mr Worsley alleged that Leeming Drains Services Limited paid out large sums of money to the three accused members of the Leeming family at a time when they knew the company was in financial difficulties.

They also lied about Geoffrey Leeming, claiming that he was old and frail and that therefore he could not appear to sign documents and correspondence should not be sent to him, he said.

Jayne Leeming allegedly told a friend that her father would be angry if he found out about her buying Number 1, Towthorpe Road, because it was too big a house for her.

Mr Worsley said the house was just round the corner from Geoffrey and Jackie Leeming's home in Lindley Avenue.

He alleged that Jackie Leeming told various organisations that her main home was at Forestgate in Haxby but it was not. Jayne Leeming was living there.

Stephen Leeming told various authorities he was receiving wages from the company at a time he was receiving sickness benefit.

Mr Worsley claimed that by 1996 the company was regularly post-dating cheques. Several court actions were threatened or taking place, bailiffs were acting against the company and a number of its cheques were bouncing.

The family had problems involving the company by the day of the murder, October 9 1996.

The murder, said Mr Worsley, happened in a garage at the end of a drive in a quiet cul-de-sac and the killer would have had to have passed three windows, a door with glass in and a van to reach it.

The killer had gone to the garage with a new sharp-bladed kitchen knife and waited there until Mr Leeming went into the garage, alleged Mr Worsley.

The strip light in the garage had been removed and other tools which the intruder could have used were undisturbed.

Mr Worsley claimed the murder was so carefully planned it could not have been a chance killing.

Mr Leeming died from the first stab wound to his heart but was repeatedly stabbed afterwards.

The hearing is expected to last several days.

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