A man accused of the brutal killing of a cannabis dealer claims he visited the murder scene to carry out research for a TV company, a court has heard.
Brian Waters, 44, died after he was beaten, tied up and suspended upside down during a 2003 attack at Burnt House Farm in Tabley, near Knutsford, Cheshire, where he had a drugs farm, Chester Crown Court heard.
His two children Gavin, then 25, and Natalie, who turned 21 the day before her father's death, were tied up during the ordeal and another man, Suleman Razak, who worked on the cannabis farm, was also tortured.
Christopher Guest More Jr, from Warrington, is alleged to have been one of at least six men involved in carrying out the violence and the court heard he later fled the country and was found living in Malta 16 years after the killing.
Nigel Power QC, prosecuting, said More's DNA was found on a glove, cigarette ends, a drinks bottle and faeces recovered from the cow shed of the farm, where the four-hour torture session took place.
He said the 43-year-old, from Lymm, denied being present when the attacks took place but said had made a number of reconnaissance visits to the open land of the farm before the day of the murder.
Mr Power told the court: "He said what he was doing was as a part of his role as an undercover television researcher."
The court has heard that More, who carried out undercover work for TV companies, was asked in 2002 to locate a cannabis farm for covert filming by a production company working for Channel 4 show Dispatches, which was filming a programme about the reclassification of the drug.
More admitted stealing cannabis and equipment from the farm on the morning of murder but denied having any prior knowledge of the attacks, the jury was told.
Mr Power said More flew to Malaga, Spain, in the early morning of June 21 2003, two days after the murder.
A European Arrest Warrant was issued in 2004 but not executed until June 6 2019 in Malta.
The court heard that More was using a UK passport under the name Andrew Christopher Lamb.
The jury heard Mr Waters died of multiple injuries following the attack, which is believed to have been carried out over a £20,000 drugs debt.
Mr Power said: "Mr Waters was restrained, tortured by the infliction of wounds - bruises, abrasions and lacerations to his body, head, neck, chest, abdomen, back and both arms and legs."
He had staples in his head and body and was assaulted with an iron bar and other weapons, the jury was told.
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The court has heard the father-of-two owed money to drug dealer John Wilson, who has since been convicted of his murder along with two other men, More's cousin James Raven and Otis Matthews.
The prosecution alleges More helped Wilson to find Mr Waters' cannabis farm, which he had been keeping secret.
Mr Razak was suspended upside down as a killer mob also lowered his colleague into a barrel of water, while threatening: "Do you want to drown now?"
The jury has been told the attack was carried out over a £20,000 drugs debt and of Mr Waters' activities as a cannabis dealer, which involved contacts in Holland.
Mr Waters' wife, Julie, was at the family home in Nantwich when men arrived at the door and searched the house for money.
When they found nothing, they forced her into a car and drove her to the farm, the court heard.
One of the men told her: "Your husband has upset a lot of people."
She was handed a mobile phone and heard a man say "show them where the money is".
More denies the murder of Mr Waters and conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm to Mr Waters and Mr Razak.
The trial continues.
