THE teenage brother of the man who murdered Jayden Parkinson "knew full well" he was helping bury her body in their uncle's grave, a jury has been told.

Jake Blakeley, the 18-year-old younger brother of killer Ben Blakely, went on trial today at Oxford Crown Court accused of preventing a lawful burial between December 2 and December 10, 2013.

Prosecutor Matthew Walsh said the teenager, who was 17 at the time, was "called in" by his older brother after the 22-year-old murdered his former girlfriend in countryside south of Didcot on December 3, 2013.

He said Ben Blakekey was convicted of Jayden's murder last year after her body was discovered buried in a Didcot church yard in the grave of his uncle Alan Kennedy on December 18, 2013.

Mr Walsh said: "There is of course no doubt that Ben Blakeley murdered Jayden.

"The question you will have to consider is whether Jake Blakeley, this defendant, involved in the digging of holes at these two sites, whether he knew that what he was doing was helping in the burial of Jayden Parkinson.

"The prosecution say that he knew full well what he was doing."

Mr Walsh said the excuses put forward by Jake Blakeley, of Venners Water in Didcot, for his actions - that he though he was helping his brother first bury weapons and then a dead dog and a dead cat - were "absurd".

The trial continues.

Our top stories


  • Do you want alerts delivered straight to your phone via our WhatsApp service? Text NEWS or SPORT or NEWS AND SPORT, depending on which services you want, and your full name to 07767 417704. Save our number into your phone’s contacts as Oxford Mail WhatsApp and ensure you have WhatsApp installed.