A JURY is set to retire to consider its verdicts in the trial of a homeless drug addict accused of murdering a pensioner at his home.

Ryan Campbell admits causing the death of George Francis Kidson, but denies murder.

The 30-year-old, previously of Racecourse Mews, Thirsk, North Yorkshire, has told his trial at Teesside Crown Court that he received cash and gifts from the 85-year-old in return for sexual favours.

The prosecution alleges he “milked” the retired teacher and was “drunk, angry and desperate for cash” when he went to Mr Kidson’s home in Sowerby, Thirsk, on November 5 last year and attacked and robbed him.

Mr Kidson died four days in later of unrecoverable brain injuries.

Summing up the prosecution case, Paul Mitchell said Mr Kidson had been defenceless and there had been no need for Mr Campbell to do the things he did to him.

He said: “It was a relatively prolonged attack with a number of pieces of violence one after another, the forceful throttling, the punching, the gripping.

“There was only one victim in this. Whatever happened 15 or so years before George Kidson was the victim and he was murdered by Ryan Campbell.”

John Elvidge, for Mr Campbell, in his closing speech, suggested injuries the victim had suffered to his head and chest could have been consistent with a fall.

Mr Elvidge said the defendant had been in turmoil about what had happened to the pensioner as evidenced by apparently distressed phone calls he had made to his mother and his brother Chad.

He said the defence had presented its case “warts and all” and said the jury may have found Mr Campbell as something of a “cold fish”.

The barrister said: “You may have heard things you did not like about him. His drinking, drug taking and petty dishonesty are unattractive, but need to be seen for what they are. That ought not to be used to prejudice the case against him.”

Mr Elvidge said the defendant’s dysfunctional childhood had given way to a troubled adult life with his “odd relationship” with the victim enduring.

He said it was not disputed that Mr Campbell was responsible for the death of Mr Kidson, but the question was whether he intended to cause him really serious harm.

He invited the jury to return a verdict of manslaughter if they could be not be sure that he murdered Mr Kidson.

The trial continues.