Man admits hiding arson killer's body in bin

A man has admitted to hiding a body in a wheelie bin.

Steven Wales, 61, was warned he could face jail after admitting at Liverpool Crown Court to preventing the lawful and decent burial of Paul Smith, whose body was found in a bin outside a row of derelict houses in Liverpool.

Smith, 40, had carried out a fatal arson attack in St Helens that killed pensioners Sheila Jackson and Eric Greener in July 2025.

His body was found a week after the fire, when Wales called police to say a man had died of a drug overdose in the bath in Everton, Liverpool.

An inquest last month heard Smith's body was found after Wales, now of Pope Street in Bootle, called the police on 22 July 2025 to report that a man had died in a bath in a property in Everton's Coniston Street two days earlier.

A post-mortem heard Smith had taken a "cocktail of drugs" before his death including heroin, cocaine and sedatives.

Home Office pathologist Dr Matthew Lyall said drowning could not be proved or excluded, "nor [could] it be entirely excluded that the deceased was held under water by a third party".

Merseyside Police said it was "satisfied" that Smith's death was not the result of a criminal act by a third party.

Coroner Andre Rebello concluded the cause of death was mixed drug toxicity.

After hearing Wales' plea, Judge Cummings KC adjourned sentencing to 18 August to allow Smith's family to prepare victim personal statements.

He granted Wales unconditional bail but told him: "All options remain open, that includes the possibility of an immediate prison sentence, so you must come on the next occasion ready for all options."

Before leaving the court, Wales said: "Have a good day, Your Honour."

Earlier this year Kevin Weetman, 34, Kylie Maynard, 37, and Lee Owens, 46, were jailed for the manslaughter of 77-year-old Greener and Jackson, 83.

A trial at Liverpool Crown Court heard drug dealer Weetman had pressured Smith to carry out the attack.

Days earlier, Weetman and two other men had battered Smith with an iron bar and, while the reasons were not made clear, the jury were told Smith was "terrified" and willing to do anything to avoid further violence.

Detectives found Weetman had been intending to target Sheila Jackson's son, George Jackson, who had refused to "work" for him selling drugs.

Smith was provided with the address and a picture of George Jackson by Maynard, a long-term drug user who also sold Class A drugs for Weetman.

Smith decided to recruit Owens and the pair drove to the couple's home in South John Street in St Helens just after 00:30 BST on 15 July, where Smith poured petrol on the front door and lit a match.

George Jackson, however, was not home, and while his mother and her partner were rescued by firefighters they died of their injuries in hospital around 48 hours later.

Weetman was jailed for life with a minimum of 25 years for planning the attack, while Maynard was jailed for 23 years and Owens - who pleaded guilty - was sentenced to 13 years and six months.

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