AN alleged murderer told a jury he considered destroying the body of the antiques dealer he is accused of killing.

Graham Richardson, 27, agreed he read up on the internet about acids that could dissolve blood and bone as Peter Battle lay dead in his East Yorkshire cottage.

He also told a jury at Teesside Crown Court he took a drug overdose after police found Mr Battle’s battered body and that he wrote a note to his mother believing his “life was a failure”.

Richardson denied the suggestion of prosecution barrister Nicholas Lumley QC that the note amounted to an admission of murder.

The jury have heard the note includes the words: “I have just messed my life up so bad I can’t fix it” and “I am messing yours up.”

They heard Richardson’s mother found the note after police announced they had found Mr Battle’s body. He claims he wrote it long before then.

Richardson, of Riverside View, Norton, denies murdering Mr Battle. He claims four men including Darren Archer, 43, killed the antiques dealer in his Full Sutton cottage on December 30.

Under cross-examination, he agreed he was a liar, greedy and insincere.

Mr Lumley asked: “You contemplated buying an acid so strong it would destroy the body of Mr Battle, not caring what effect that would have on his friends and family?”

Richardson replied: “It crossed my mind, but I didn’t go through with it.”

Mr Lumley said to Richardson: “You are even prepared to place the blame for Mr Battle’s murder at the door of an innocent man and three others. You care only for yourself, don’t you agree?”

Richardson replied: “No.”

Richardson agreed with Archer’s barrister Glenn Parsons he had “no qualms” about sending his mother into shops to sell jewellery he had stolen from Mr Battle’s cottage.

He denied Mr Parsons’ suggestions that the only contact he had with Archer was to buy heroin from him and to set up an arrangement together where he would sell legal highs and Archer would sell heroin.

Archer, of Nunnery Lane, York, denies robbing a gold dealer with Richardson on December 9. He is not charged with murder.

The trial continues.