Mason, then 18, murdered the 15-year-old after they entered into a sexual relationship, the Crown alleges. He paid Alex more than £2,000 over a three-week period, after Alex allegedly threatened to reveal the relationship, jurors have been told. The Manchester Evening News reports Mason, now 19, ‘didn’t want anyone to know he was gay’, the jury has already heard. He said: “It’s alleged he participated in an unlawful sexual relationship with Alex Rodda that gave rise to demands for money from Alex, that he would disclose the details of the sexual relationship if he did not send him money. Addressing the jurors for the final time, he told them: “Give this case no thought at all over the break.

Source: Daily Mirror December 23, 2020 12:57 UTC