THE easy Irish charm and boyish good looks of Christy McGrath made it difficult to believe he was capable of murder.

Just 23 years old, he looks younger.

He was described by those closest to him as "nave" and "pretty easily led", and trusted people until "they did something to him".

Last year, he attended a fundraising event for injured jockey Scott Taylor held in Fishburn Working Men's Club, County Durham.

His apparently warm, easy-going nature meant he was welcomed into the close-knit racing world in the North-East.

McGrath's family connections made that easy. His brother, Larry, is the amateur rider for permit-holder Norman Mason and is well-respected and popular in his field.

But these new racing friends, dispirited by the direction Christy seemed to be heading in, slowly drifted away, leaving him in the company of other people from outside the sport whom they did not feel comfortable with.

In the months leading up to the murder, the normally happy-go-lucky conditional jockey had begun to show signs that everything was not well in his life.

Former friends said that he turned more easily to violence.

He had been lending money to one of his new friends outside the racing game and was not getting it back. McGrath, in turn, it has been claimed, began also to borrow more heavily.

One former friend, who did not wish to be named, said: "When he arrived, he didn't really know anyone and we were happy to welcome him into our homes and our lives.

"He was a lovely lad, quiet at times, but always well-behaved and very polite. He was never a problem to have around.

"Then he got in with a bad crowd, and the good people he had in his life started to leave him alone.

"We like a quiet life, and it began to seem you couldn't be guaranteed that with Christy.

"One night, we heard he and two of his new non-racing friends were in Hartlepool and had been drinking.

"They were in the queue in a kebab house and an argument started with the lads in front.

"It got nasty and the violence started.

"It wasn't the first time he had shown these signs, but after that I decided I wouldn't go out with him again.

"We didn't want to be part of any trouble."