Coin collector murdered fellow enthusiast to get hold of his Beatrix Potter 50 pences

A coin collector was stabbed to death in his home by a fellow enthusiast who wanted his limited edition Beatrix Potter 50p pieces, a court has heard.

Gordon McGhee, 52, was found knifed 14 times before his attacker fled and tried to torch his flat.

Danny Bostock, 33, who knew Mr McGhee and shared his hobby of collecting coins was later arrested – much of Mr McGhee’s collection, including the Beatrix Potter coins, was never recovered.

Opening the trial at Ipswich Crown Court, prosecutor Andrew Jackson described the attack as “determined and brutal”.

He said Bostock wanted the coin collection having swapped his own Beatrix Potter coins with other people in the area in the hours before the alleged murder in Colchester, Essex in August.

He said: “It was in the early hours of Wednesday, August 22 last year that this defendant Danny Bostock went to the home of Gordon McGhee.

“He went there to burgle Mr McGhee’s home.

“He was disturbed during the course of the burglary by Mr McGhee and so he murdered Mr McGhee by stabbing him several times.

“He stabbed Mr McGhee 14 times to his face, neck and upper body.

“Two of the stab wounds penetrated deep into his chest and lungs causing massive bleeding.

“These injuries were catastrophic and killed Mr McGhee.

“He left Mr McGhee lying [in] his own blood in his own home and tried to destroy the flat by fire.”

The vast majority of Mr McGhee’s prize coin collection were taken from his flat and has never been recovered, while a knife used in the attack is also still missing.

Mr Jackson said Bostock, 33, wanted to cause an explosion to destroy Mr McGhee’s body.

He told the court said Bostock, from Colchester, had been seen on CCTV cycling away from the area wearing a pink Diesel t-shirt and a distinctive pair of brown Lonsdale trainers.

He added forensic experts had linked the trainers to blood left in the flat, which Bostock had then thrown away.

His DNA was also found on the cloth which had been lit.

Mr McGhee’s blood was also found on the left pedal of Bostock’s GT Aggressor mountain bike.

Bostock denies murder and attempted arson.

The trial, which is expected to last three weeks, continues.