Barry Cairns death: Two men jailed for putting dead body in a bin and dumping it by stream

Two men who put their dead acquaintance's body in a bin rather than call for help have been jailed for perverting the course of justice.

Barry Cairns, 53, died in a flat in Leigh Park, near Portsmouth. Rather than call 999, Dale Edmonds - whose flat it was - and Mark Walkley loaded the body into a bin and took it out of the home. Edmonds then later wheeled the bin to a stream and dumped it by the water, where it was found by a passer-by at 7am the next day.

A murder probe was initially launched but this was dropped when a post-mortem examination found that Mr Cairns had died from drug intoxication. It happened on June 19 this year and a review into the death will now be led by the coroner.

Appearing at Portsmouth Crown Court on Friday (December 1) Edmonds, 47, was jailed for 11 months and 43-year-old Walkley for 22 months.

Edmonds and Walkley were charged in relation to the concealment and disposal of Barry’s body after his death. Edmonds, of Warnford Crescent in Leigh Park, admitted the offence at Portsmouth Crown Court on August 24. Walkley, of no fixed abode, admitted the offence at the same court on 26 October.

Detective Sergeant Carl Holmes said: “Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Barry Cairns at this time. Barry had been in the company of the two defendants at Edmonds’ flat in Warnford Crescent when his life was tragically cut short. Rather than call for help, the defendants loaded Barry’s body into a bin which was then removed from the property.

“Edmonds transported the body to an area beside a stream in Chalton Crescent in the early hours of the morning. Barry’s body was then callously and inexplicably left in the grass before being found by a member of the public some hours later. Their disgraceful actions have caused unimaginable pain to Barry’s family.

“I want to thank the community of Leigh Park for their assistance with our enquiries. Engaging with local residents and reviewing CCTV has been crucial to understanding what happened to Barry. Progressing this investigation and securing the convictions of Edmonds and Walkley would not have been possible without the support of the community.”

An investigation into the wider circumstances surrounding Barry’s death will be led by the coroner.