Jury told Sherratt was infatuated with hooker accused of his murder (From Stourbridge News)

Jury told Sherratt was infatuated with hooker accused of his murder

5:20pm Tuesday 15th January 2013 in Local

A JURY has been told a Stourbridge property developer had been infatuated with the prostitute accused of killing him.

Richard Sherratt, originally from Kinver, was found beaten and stabbed on the bed in his flat in Bridgnorth after being robbed.

The prosecution at Stafford Crown Court allege one of the killers was Emma Bate, a Birmingham prostitute addicted to class A drugs, on whom Mr Sherratt, aged 57, lavished money and gifts.

Her boyfriend, Paramjit Singh, has already pleaded guilty to murdering Mr Sherratt, the jury was told this week.

Bate, aged 26, of Gladstone Street, Birmingham, denies a charge of murder, but admits robbing and defrauding Mr Sherratt.

A co-accused in the dock with Bate, Michael Smith, aged 51, of Horton Street, Tipton, denies robbing and defrauding Mr Sherratt.

Opening the trial on Monday (January 14), Peter Grieves-Smith, prosecuting, told the jury that the murder took place on the night of June 13 last year, after Mr Sherratt, a creature of habit, had gone to bed at his flat in Old School Mews, Bridgnorth.

The court was told Bate and Singh meanwhile were on their way from Birmingham to Bridgnorth in Smith's car with the purpose of getting money from Mr Sherratt by robbing him.

Mr Grieves-Smith said: "How did they know Mr Sherratt? Emma Bate knew him through her work as a prostitute. She had first met him in March last year. He had become somewhat infatuated with her, paid her large amounts of money.

"By 13 June he had cut links and they were out of contact. From the middle of May they had fallen out.

"She was addicted to class A drugs, in particular crack cocaine and she needed money. When she was interviewed by police she said that on June 13 someone she bought drugs from wanted her to pay her debts. That's how they came to go to the flat in Bridgnorth.

"Emma Bate had a boyfriend called Paramjit Singh, like her he was addicted to class A drugs. Smith, an unemployed man, was chosen to drive them."

They got to Bridgnorth around midnight. Smith parked up and stayed in the car while Bate and Singh went to Mr Sherratt's flat where they knew he would be asleep, alleged Mr Grieves-Smith.

The pair entered the flat using a key she had been given.

He went on: "Mr Sherratt was asleep and he was awoken by their arrival. It was then that he was robbed, attacked and killed."

Within minutes of arriving at the flat, Bate was using one of the victim's bank cards at a cash point, although her first try failed.

By 1am all three defendants were on their way back to Birmingham with Mr Sherratt's bank cards, some cash and a watch worth £10,000.

During the time Bate and Singh were in the flat, Mr Sherratt sustained injuries which caused his death. He had been struck at least five times to the face and stabbed in the arm.

There were pinprick injuries to his arm and neck. "The prosecution say that was done to extract the PIN numbers to his bank account," claimed Mr Grieves-Smith.

"There are only two people who are in a position to say what happened within the flat. Bate was to blame Singh for the killing. Singh has pleaded guilty to murder and she blames him. She claims that when she went to the cash till, Mr Sherratt was uninjured, when she came back, he had been attacked.

"The prosecution suggest she has minimised what she has done. She has pleaded guilty to robbery of Mr Sherratt and fraud when his bank cards was used fraudulently.

"The prosecution's case is: Paramjit Singh and Emma Bate are responsible for the murder of Richard Sherratt, Smith was just as involved in the robbery."

Mr Grieves-Smith went on to outline for the jury the relationship between Mr Sherratt, a successful and affluent businessman, and Bate.

He had bought a plot of land in Bridgnorth for housing development. But the twice divorced father of three was lonely and craved companionship.

His daughter Jenny described him as a trusting person who wanted to be in a relationship and that may have clouded his judgement Bate, a prostitute for a number of years, had been in a relationship with Singh and he may not have known the true extent of her work.

Mr Sherratt became "infatuated" with Bate, describing her as his girlfriend. He spent a great deal of money on her - hotels and entertainment and put £8,000 in her bank account. he even planned to take her on holiday to Dubai.

But according to the prosecution, the relationship soured in May when Mr Sherratt discovered £800 had been stolen from his bank account. He confronted Bate about it. At the time, she had a black eye. She admitted taking the money and demanded a further £2,000 - or she would tell the police that he had caused her injury.

"It was this which ended the contact," claimed Mr Grieves-Smith.

The effect on Bate was obvious - by June she was sending out text messages begging for money.

The trial is continuing.