Sex worker denies being ‘baiter’ in Ponderosa drug-killing plot

A sex worker accused of killing a man has denied being “bait” in a murder plot centered on a drug trafficking dispute.

Rebecca Moore, 25, said she did not know Sacad Ali, 24, would be fatally stabbed when she met him at the Ponderosa in Sheffield on March 9.

Two teenagers, who cannot be named because of their age, pleaded guilty to murder and possession of an offensive weapon earlier this year.

At Sheffield Crown Court on Tuesday, Ms Moore, of Springvale Walk, Sheffield, denied intending to seriously harm or murder Mr Ali.

Prosecutor Simon Kealey KC told jurors at an earlier hearing that Mr Ali was fatally attacked by the teenagers “to stop him from selling drugs in their area”.

The court heard Ms Moore had arranged to meet Mr Ali in the early hours of March 9 to buy crack cocaine.

During the meeting, she said she sent text messages to a telephone line used by the boys, aged 16 and 17, to tell them that Mr Ali was about to leave.

When asked by her lawyer Mathew Sherratt KC why she sent the message, she replied: “Because they told me.”

“They were my drug dealers and I have to do what they say.”

Ms Moore told the court she became aware of other people arriving at the Ponderosa when she heard screaming.

“They all started fighting. I just stood on the path,” she said.

“I saw them all bring out swords, all three of them.”

Ms Moore described feeling “pure shock, fear and panic” before hiding in some nearby bushes.

Ms Moore told the jury she did not know what caused the altercation or how serious Mr Ali’s injuries would be.

She denied helping to organize the attack and said: “I would never do something like that.”

Ms Moore said she saw the boys looking “unhappy” later that morning.

“I asked them what they were doing,” she said.

“I realized they were probably in the park.”

The court heard it was suspected Ms Moore had “bragged” about planning the attack while in custody at HMP New Hall in Wakefield.

In response, Ms. Moore said she told an inmate that she did not kill Mr. Ali.

She said she did not know the boys would attack him, had not spoken to them about an attack and was unwilling to “provide bait to effectively lure Mr Ali into the public eye”.

During cross-examination, Mr Kealey asked KC if she would “do anything” if she was “desperate” to find drugs because of her addiction.

“I wouldn’t do anything, but I would buy something,” Ms. Moore said.

The process continues.

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