A MAN accused of playing a part in the punishment beating murder of a suspected thief has gone on trial for a second time.

Lee Woodier is alleged to have had a significant role in the gang that kidnapped and assaulted John Newton last March.

Mr Newton, 45, was suspected of stealing the lifesavings of his pensioner friend, George Thomas, 77, several weeks earlier.

He was snatched from his home in Redcar, east Cleveland, bundled into a van and severely beaten, dying two days later.

Mr Thomas’ son and grandson and a third man were convicted of murder and kidnap after a Teesside Crown Court trial last year.

Mr Woodier, 25, was found guilty of kidnap but the jury could not agree on the murder charge following the five-week case.

A fresh jury was told yesterday by Andrew Robertson QC, prosecuting, that Mr Woodier was “actively involved in the fatal assault”.

He was said to have been one of two men recruited by the Thomas family to seek retribution for the theft of the money.

The jury was told there were damning telephone voicemail messages from Jackson, 25, to his friend Stephen Thomas, 30.

Texts and voicemails sent and left by 52-year-old welder George Thomas to his son talked about “doing what we have to do”.

The jury heard that in one of the messages, the father said: “Stephen, it’s down to me and you now...

we’ve got to do our best.”

Mr Robertson told the jury the crucial evidence was recovered by detectives from the mobile phones of the three men.

He said similar evidence linking Mr Woodier to the plot could not be found because his phone and memory card were destroyed.

However, the prosecutor told the jury that testimony from other witnesses will prove Mr Woodier was heavily involved.

“A person would be guilty if he was there with the others intending to lend support, even if he didn’t deliver any of he blows,” he said.

“However, in the case of Lee Woodier, the evidence will demonstrate that he went far beyond that.

“The police managed to collate a great deal of telephone evidence. There would have been more but for the fact Lee Woodier, just before his arrest, got rid of his mobile phone and sim card.

“We submit that he, no doubt, did that in an effort to conceal his involvement in the matter and frustrate the gathering of evidence against him.”

Mr Woodier, of Shelley Road, Middlesbrough, denies murder and faces a trial which is expected to last three weeks.