Father of two 'killed teenage lover and hid her on moors'

David Hodgson, 47, is accused of killing Jenny Nicholl out of jealousy over her growing friendship with his brother.

The 19-year-old vanished in June 2005.

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Police have never found her body.

Miss Nicholl, a shop assistant, disappeared from her home in Richmond, North Yorkshire, after telling her parents she would be staying out for the night and leaving with camping gear.

On the same night Hodgson left home to go camping and returned the next day, Teesside Crown Court heard.

A police investigation began after the girl's car was found on July 4 in a local pub car park.

It is alleged that the father of two then travelled across the country and used Miss Nicholl's phone to send text messages to friends and relations to make it appear she was safe and well.

On July 9 friends received text messages from her phone sent from the Carlisle area and five days later her father received a text from her phone sent from the Scottish Borders.

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Hodgson had rented a car on both these days and his movements cannot be accounted for, the court heard.

James Goss, QC, prosecuting, said: "The prosecution case is that the defendant murdered Jenny Nicholl the night she disappeared and disposed of her body somewhere in the neighbouring countryside, with the intention that it should never be found.

"This is a case in which there is no body. Jenny simply disappeared."

The retired Army major's daughter began a relationship with Hodgson when she was 14.

They became friends because she went to school with his daughters.

When police began investigating her disappearance Hodgson claimed there was nothing between them, but later admitted they had sex five times.

There was also evidence that Hodgson was possessive about his lover.

Mr Goss said Miss Nicholl told a friend about her ongoing affair with a married man and how he had "kicked off" when he had seen her with another boyfriend.

In the weeks before she vanished Miss Nicholl also developed a close friendship with Hodgson's elder brother Robert, who was allegedly unaware of his brother's longstanding relationship with her.

Mr Goss said it was mere speculation, but jealousy over the blossoming relationship with Robert may have been the motive for the murder.

Problems in their own relationship was another possible explanation, he said.

Both brothers tried to commit suicide by taking an overdose within a month of Miss Nicholl going missing, the jury heard.

The court was told that David and Robert Hodgson built a number of "hides" and huts in the North Yorkshire Moors.

Mr Goss said there was DNA evidence that the accused and Miss Nicholls had sex in one of them.

Hodgson, of Richmond, North Yorkshire, denies murder.

His defence is expected to refer to Miss Nicholl's father, Brian, who has a conviction for accessing child pornography, the court heard.

Hodgson alleged that Mr Nicholl sexually abused his daughter.

The allegation led police to check his computer and he admitted accessing the child porn websites.