Chesterfield pensioner murder - police officer tells court he 'smelled a strong smell of decayed flesh'

A police search specialist has told a jury that he could smell the stench of decayed flesh as they approached an isolated wooded area, prior to discovering the chopped-up remains of a murdered Chesterfield pensioner.
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Daniel Walsh is currently being tried for the murder of Graham Snell before chopping up his remains the Marsden Street home they had both been living in at the time of the killing in June last year.

It is alleged that Walsh then disposed of the body in bins located at a flats complex where his brother lived, and isolated woodland surrounded by houses, at the trial at Derby Crown Court.Giving evidence on Friday, November 27, Sgt Edward Mann said they had gone to the area to the rear of Barton Crescent, some two-and-a-half miles from where Mr Snell had lived, because information retrieved from Walsh’s mobile phone revealed he had taken a taxi to that address.

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Chesterfield pensioner was 'chopped up and fed to the badgers' - murder retrial ...
Daniel Walsh is accused of murdering Chesterfield pensioner Graham SnellDaniel Walsh is accused of murdering Chesterfield pensioner Graham Snell
Daniel Walsh is accused of murdering Chesterfield pensioner Graham Snell
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“I smelled a strong smell of decayed flesh when I was still in the back garden of one of the properties,” he told the court. “We did a line search of the boundary at first but the smell got weaker. At the top of the hill was a badger set and from one of the holes was a lot of fly activity.”

He said that Mr Snell’s lower legs were discovered in one hole, and his upper torso in another, but they had to call in the army and used a miniature robot to search the tunnels.

But it wasn’t until January of this year that they found the victim’s head and lower arms, after fresh information led them to a separate site in the woods, some 60 metres from the set.

Previously, the court was told that Walsh had tried to get an emergency passport, went on lavish gambling and spending sprees, and also bought saws and heavy-duty bags from DIY stores around Chesterfield.

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Neighbours also described Walsh burning what he told them was wood, in an incinerator he also purchased and placed in the back yard of Mr Snell’s home.

Walsh, 30, denies murder.

The trial continues.

Editor’s message: In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever. Thanks to everyone who helps us ask the questions that matter by taking out a subscription or buying a paper. We stand together. Nancy Fielder, editor.