Man accused of murder has killed before

A convicted killer who murdered a teenage boy was back in court today charged with strangling another man to death.

Jurors were told that Royston Jackson, who is accused of killing pensioner Gordon Boon, had already been convicted of murder once before.

The partially clothed body of Mr Boon was found underneath some fence panels in a remote lane in Norfolk in October 2008, Norwich Crown Court heard.

A post-mortem examination revealed that he had been strangled.

The jury heard that, after 43-year-old Jackson came out of prison, he was living in a bail hostel in Norwich, where he met Mr Boon.

Mr Boon, 73, had convictions for sex offences, said prosecutor Timothy Spencer QC.

In October 2008 both men moved out of the hostel and were living in separate accommodation in Norwich.

"On the night of October 3, 2008, Mr Jackson murdered Gordon Boon. He strangled him to death," said Mr Spencer.

"His dead body was found on October 6, dumped in a remote lane near to Great Witchingham,

"This defendant drove the dead body to the remote location, dumped it and then covered it with some fence panels - no doubt in an attempt to cover it up for a short while at least."

He said that only Jackson knew why Mr Boon was killed.

"We suggest that a possible motive is that there is some sort of sexual overtone given Mr Boon's state of undress," said Mr Spencer.

"We know that Royston Jackson had made sexual approaches to other males he had been at the hostel with which had been rebuffed."

Jurors were told that Jackson was convicted of killing teenager Stephen Raven in Dagenham, Essex, in April 1989.

"There are a number of important similarities between the death of Stephen Raven and Gordon Boon," said Mr Spencer.

"Both were males - of course there is a big difference in age - Stephen Raven showed signs of attempted strangulation and we know how Gordon Boon was killed.

"Stephen Raven's clothing had been interfered with; although he was wearing clothes, they had clearly been taken off prior to his killing because his underpants had been put on inside out and back to front.

"Both men had been dumped in remote country lanes."

The trial continues.