TWO men, including one from Ellesmere Port, questioned over the murder of 90-year-old widow Elsie Hughes appeared before Wrexham Magistrates Court last Friday.

The men are both charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice between September 1, 2005 and March 7, 2006 and will appear before Mold Crown Court on Friday (March 17).

The charge accuses them of giving police false information about a Ford Escort estate which police believe had been seen near Mrs Hughes' house and which they had made a public appeal to trace.

John Andrew Thomas, 37, of Rhuddlan Court, Ellesmere Port, is also charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice by concealing material evidence.

Former school cook, widow Mrs Hughes, was found lying in a pool of her own blood after she was left beaten at her home in Hawarden road, Abermorddu in September last year.

She later died at Wrexham Maelor Hospital from her injuries.

Prosecutor Robert Blakemore told District Judge Andrew Shaw, police had a number of items for forensic testing which would take 'quite a long time.'

Thomas, and Charles Jones, 32, of Alyn Road, Buckley, had also been held for questioning about a series of deception offences against the elderly.

Mr Blakemore said: 'As far as the murder inquiry is concerned they have not been ruled out of those inquiries and have been bailed for two months in relation to the murder inquiry.'

Brian Cross for Thomas, made an application for bail and said the married father of two had lived at his Ellesmere Port address for nine years.

'There is a lot of mudslinging going on by the prosecution,' said Mr Cross, 'In relation to the murder my client denies in his words 'one million per cent' that he has had any involvement whatsoever and has fully co-operated with the police.

'He has had 17 taped interviews with the police and in all of them has fully co-operated and told the police exactly what he knows. He has been bailed in respect of that matter.'

He had also made full denials of any involvement of deception matters, said Mr Cross.

Judge Shaw rejected the application for bail.

Vicky Robinson, for Jones, said she would not be making an application for bail.