Keith Cowell, 52, his son Matthew, 17, and 33 year old Tony Dulieu from Billericay, were executed by sub-machine in living room of the Cowells' home in Plaw Hatch Close, Bishop Stortford

murder victim Keith Cowell was "perturbed" about a drug deal his teenage son was involved in, a court heard today (Wednesday July 9).<br />Brian "Jumbo" Johnstone said his golfing friend Keith, formerly of Buntingford, told him about a row over the quality of cocaine supplied to an Asian man called Mike.<br />He told St Albans Crown Court he had worked with Keith Cowell for 10 to 12 years in security at the London Arena and Wembley Stadium, and had known Matthew since he was a boy.Asked by prosecutor Stuart Trimmer if Keith had been involved in drugs, he said: "Yes, I knew he had something to do with drugs. "As far as I was concerned I was aware he sold a little bit of grass - that's all, nothing exciting."But he said that Keith told him about a deal involving high grade cocaine, known as 'Shine'. He said: "He was a bit perturbed that his son Matthew had been approached at a funeral by an Asian guy called Mike who wanted to buy Shine - high grade cocaine. It sparkles - that is why it is called Shine."Keith got in touch with his nephew Ian Jennings. Ian deals in drugs. Keith told me they did a deal and Michael was not happy. He wanted his money back and Ian was very loath to give him his money back. "Mr Johnstone said the first deal had been for half a kilo of the drug. Later he said Mike had wanted a kilo of the drug. "I though after the row it seemed a strange thing to do."<br />He added: "I saw Keith on the day he died. He had been playing golf. He came to my house and we went to the golf shop in Nazeing and I bought a golf club as a birthday present for him. He was a very, very good friend."<br />Keith Cowell, 52, his son Matthew, 17, and 33 year old Tony Dulieu from Billericay, were executed by sub-machine in living room of the Cowells' home in Plaw Hatch Close, Bishop Stortford on August 28 last year.<br />Keith sister's Christine Jennings, 54, was shot and stabbed in the living room. Matthew's girlfriend Claire Evans, 23, was stabbed in a bedroom as she protected her three-year-old daughter. The Cowells pet Staffordshire puppy called Gorgeous was also shot dead.Ian Jennings, 32, who had brought a kilo of cocaine to the house managed to escape the slaughter by hiding in the back garden. He had been in the kitchen of the house when two men burst in.Miran Thakrar was allegedly armed with the sub-machine gun and was accompanied by his brother Kevan.The prosecution sasy Miran was angry that he had been supplied with half a kilo of 'Repress', the lowest quality of the drug. He had been expecting Shine.Cross examined by Brendan Kelly QC for Miran Thakrar - the man known as Mike - Mr Johnsstone said he had not told the police about his conversation with Keith in his first interview with them because he had needed permission from his widow Nicky to tell them about the drugs."I did not want to bad mouth Keith without speaking to her first. We had just lost three people shot and two wounded over a piece of stupidity."Miran Thakrar, 24, and Kevan Thakrar, 21, plead not guilty to the murder of Keith and Matthew Cowell and Tony Dulieu, from Billericay, Essex at the Cowells' home in Plaw Hatch Close, Bishop's Stortford on August 28 last year.Miran Thakrar, of no fixed address, and Kevan, of Lomond Way, Stevenage, also deny the attempted murders of Claire Evans and Christine Jennings in the house on the same day and having an Ingram Mac 10 sub-machine gun with intent.Their brother Jay Thakrar, 25, of Lomond Way, Stevenage, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of assisting an offender. One relates to providing petrol between August 27 and August 30 for the burning of a car used by Miran Thakrar and the other alleges he assisted Kevan Thakrar to evade arrest.<br />Their father Atul Thakrar, 47, of Compton Place, Northwood, Middlesex, has pleaded not guilty to assisting Kevan Thakrar to attempt to leave the UK between August 28 and September 5.Co-defendant Amanda Dansie, 21, of High Street, Buntingford, has pleaded not guilty to assisting in the escape of Miran Thakrar from the UK between August 28 and September 9.Yilay Tufensoy, 20, of Nags Head Road, Enfield, denies two charges of assisting an offender. In one charge he is alleged to have assisted Miran Thakrar flee the UK and in the other he is accused of assisting Kevan Thakrar's attempts to flee the UK.

Keith Cowell, 52, his son Matthew, 17, and 33 year old Tony Dulieu from Billericay, were executed by sub-machine in living room of the Cowells' home in Plaw Hatch Close, Bishop Stortford

murder victim Keith Cowell was "perturbed" about a drug deal his teenage son was involved in, a court heard today (Wednesday July ...

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