The jury in the Warden Beach murder trial of three men and two teenagers has retired to consider verdicts.

Mark Terry, 44, of Grantham Road, Manor Park, east London, his son, Matthew, 21, of the same address, Christopher Bones, 21, of Dorothy Gardens, Dagenham, Essex, Jamie West, 19, of Cliff View Gardens, Warden, and a 16-year-old from Sheppey who cannot be named, all denied murder.

They also denied perverting the course of justice by making false statements to police during the eight-week trial at Maidstone Crown Court.

The 11-member jury, one having been discharged earlier in the trial, went out to consider verdicts this afternoon.

Only Mark Terry did not go into the witness box to give evidence about what happened the night Gary Pocock was beaten to death with at least one baseball bat.

The 34-year-old caretaker’s half-naked body was found on the sand off Warden Bay Road, Leysdown, by a man with a metal detector on the morning of August 7 last year.

He was not identified until the following day when a description of a distinctive signet ring he had been wearing was reported by the media.

His partner, Wendy Polley, recognised it and contacted police.

The prosecution alleged Mr Pocock, from Barking, east London, was the victim of a punishment attack after a girl claimed he had sexually assaulted her.

Mark and Matthew Terry, Bones and Mr Pocock were all staying at holiday chalets in Leysdown.

Mark Terry’s wife Lisa, 32, also of Grantham Road, Manor Park, was accused of perverting the course of justice but is no longer on trial.

Judge Jeremy Carey told jurors they no longer had to consider her guilt or innocence.