A MAN accused of murder has admitted he considered pouring acid over the body of antiques dealer Peter Battle.
Graham Richardson claimed he kept quiet about Mr Battle's death to avoid "grassing" on an accomplice.
Richardson, 27, spent his second day in the witness box yesterday being cross-examined about his role in what happened.
He denies murdering the father-of- two, claiming he found the victim already dead after seeing four robbers flee the house.
He told the jury he was too shocked to do anything after the four hooded men came running from the cottage in Full Sutton with bags of loot.
He claimed he "panicked" and ran with the gang to their getaway car, parked in a nearby layby, where he was given one of the bags and told to say nothing.
However, he maintained he recognised the voice of one of the men as Darren Archer, having helped him target the antiques dealer in the first place.
Asked why he had not identified him to police, Richardson told Teesside Crown Court: "I did not really want to grass and give his name.
"I was scared after finding Peter's body of what they would do and thought the police would find out who did it."
While browsing the internet for a way of getting some blood spots off his trainers, he came across a reference to using acid to dissolve "flesh and bones".
He said: "It started a train of thought about whether I should cover it up.
"I kept thinking about what I should do. I did not do anything in the end, thinking the death would come out."
The court heard Richardson went back to the cottage on January 2, a few days after he claimed to have seen the gang leave the cottage.
Richardson claimed he thought Mr Battle, 56, must have gone away to recover from the robbery.
He said: "I intended to burgle Peter's house on my own, thinking he would be away for the week."
He came first during the afternoon, but "chickened out" and just drove past the house, only to return after dark, the court heard.
There was a light on in the house, but he could not really see through the porch. He tried the door handle, and it was unlocked, he claimed.
He said he found a sheet had been hung over the door as he pushed it open and went in.
He told the court: "I shouted out Peter's name. There was no reply. As I started walking through the property, I could see blood splatter on the walls and some items.
"I noticed a lump on the floor, which turned out to be Peter."
The body was covered in what he thought was a sheet. When he lifted one end up, he could see part of Mr Battle's head.
Richardson said: "I didn't know what to do. I was about to run off, but decided to check he was still alive.
"His feet were sticking out the bottom. I touched the back of my finger to his ankle, which was freezing cold.
"I just had to get out. I just ran."
He jumped in his car to drive back to Malton, but pulled over half way to smoke some heroin in a layby.
"All I could think of was it was because of the robbery – and I was partly to blame."
Earlier, he told the jury he had robbed another gold collector in York with two other men, one of whom was Darren Archer, he claimed.
He had been asked to supply names of other potential victims and subsequently agreed to set up Mr Battle.
It was alleged Mr Archer would handle the robbery and Mr Richardson would turn up later at the house, feigning sympathy to avoid any suspicion he had been involved.
He claimed he never dreamed Mr Battle would be harmed during the robbery because he thought only threats would be needed.
He admitted returning twice more to the unlocked cottage to steal.
When he finally locked the door behind him and threw the key away, Mr Battle had been dead for three- and-a-half weeks.
But, still, he did not inform the police, saying he felt "guilty" over what had happened, even though he was not the killer.
He told the jury: "I was just taking too much heroin at the time.
"I wish I had done now."
Richardson, of Riverside View, Norton, denies murder.
The trial continues.
