Would-be killers wanted games 'to pass time'
A teenager asked a friend he met online to pin his parents' legs down to help him kill them as they slept, a court heard.
Shaun Skarnes is alleged to have sent the request during an exchange with Christopher Monks on the internet, Preston Crown Court was told.
Skarnes, 19, and Monks, 24, are accused of conspiring to murder Monks' adoptive parents, Christopher and Elizabeth Monks, at the family home in Preston Road, Clayton-le-Woods, in February.
The pair met on the internet via a website for people interested in pretending to be animals to discuss sexual role-play and fantasies.
Prosecutor Dennis Watson QC and PC Timothy Clark, who analysed computer records, read out graphic online exchanges alleged to have been sent between the two bisexual men, using their adopted animal character names, Rox-Yin, a fox, and Kira, a half-wolf half-fox.
One online conversation transcript showed Kira, Skarnes' user-name, wrote: "Can you hold your parents' legs down?"
Monks' character Rox-Yin replied: "I can try, I'm not that strong.
"What are you planning?"
Skarnes then wrote: "Strangulation", to which Monks replied: "Just make sure you kill them or I'll have hell to pay."
The court heard how another online conversation discussed how Skarnes should bring warm clothes and portable computer games to help pass the time as he waited outside for Mr and Mrs Monks to fall asleep, and how duct tape could be bought to create gags.
Other online chat transcripts discussed sexual preferences, with references to bestiality, cannibalism, cutting off penises and a joke about necrophilia.
Text messages, recovered from mobile phones alleged to have been used by the defendants, were also read aloud.
Skarnes sat with his head in his hands, looking at the floor, throughout the evidence, while Monks stared ahead, as the details were read out.
The court had previously heard how Mr Monks awoke on February 8 to find Skarnes by his bedside with a knife.
He grappled with the intruder until shortly before police, called by his wife, arrived at the house.
Skarnes, of Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, and Monks both deny conspiracy to murder.
(Proceeding)
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Thursday 29 July 2010
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