Joiner Luigi Dalli, 47, (pictured) of Salford, Greater Manchester, is accused of lending the money in order to pay two acquaintances to carry out the attack on Kurt Crawford at his home in Burnley, Lancashire
Photo: Manchester Evening NewsJoiner Luigi Dalli, 47, (pictured) of Salford, Greater Manchester, is accused of lending the money in order to pay two acquaintances to carry out the attack on Kurt Crawford at his home in Burnley, Lancashire

     Luigi Dalli accused of taking out payday loan to pay hitmen to kill love rival
    47-year-old allegedly wanted ex-partner's new partner Kurt Crawford dead 

Story after the cut .....
    Dalli denies conspiracy to commit both grievous bodily harm and murder
    'Hitmen' Carl, 28, and Liam Johnson, 20, admit conspiring to commit GBH
    But they and two other defendants deny conspiracy to murder Mr Crawford





A jealous ex-boyfriend applied for £1,000 from an online lender to hire two hitmen to kill his love rival in an axe attack, a court has heard.
Joiner Luigi Dalli, 47, of Salford, Greater Manchester, is accused of lending the money in order to pay two acquaintances to carry out the attack on Kurt Crawford at his home in Burnley, Lancashire.
Dalli, who is now on trial along with four other people, is alleged to have wanted the intended victim dead as Mr Crawford had started a relationship with Dalli's ex girlfriend, Joanna Beech.
Liam Johnson, 20, (pictured) and his brother were allegedly hired by Dalli to kill his love rival with an axe
Photo: Manchester Evening News
Liam Johnson, 20, (pictured) and his brother were allegedly hired by Dalli to kill his love rival with an axe
Stuart Denney, prosecuting, told jurors at Manchester Crown Court that Mr Dalli initially created a fake Facebook profile as part of his campaign to split the couple up.
When that failed he is alleged to have turned to another former partner, Caroline Meighan, 43, for help finding 'hired thugs' to kill Mr Crawford.
She is accused of recruiting brothers Liam and Carl Johnson, her neighbours in Ordsall, Greater Manchester, to carry out the job. 
Another person, a 17-year-old teenage boy who cannot be named for legal reasons, is also on trial and was described in court as Dalli's 'right hand man' during the incident.




The court heard on June 14 last year Mr Crawford returned home from spending the weekend with Ms Beech, but as was about to enter the house he was approached by two men wearing black balaclavas.
He was then stabbed with a knife and hacked with the axe. The blade wounded his abdomen and the axe injured him to the neck and collarbone. 
He suffered internal bleeding and needed surgery but miraculously survived.
Brothers Liam (pictured left) and Carl Johnson (right) are accused of carrying out the attempted murder
Photo: Manchester Evening NewsBrothers Liam (pictured left) and Carl Johnson (right) are accused of carrying out the attempted murder
The court heard following the alleged incident the Johnson brothers were driven away from the scene by  Dalli and his 17-year-old accomplice.
The prosecution say Mr Dalli and the other alleged conspirators are linked to the offence by a trail of evidence - including automatic number plate recognition, telephone records, CCTV and more. 
Police then recovered a label from tarpaulin purchased at Salford Shopping City in the alleged getaway vehicle.
Mr Denney said: 'The tarpaulin was there to put the body of the dead, as they hoped, Mr Crawford into, so it would be taken away and no-one would be any the wiser. 
'Unfortunately the label was left and police were able to trace what they were up to.'



Caroline Meighan, 43, (pictured) is accused of helping to find 'hired thugs' to kill Mr Crawford
Photo: Manchester Evening NewsCaroline Meighan, 43, (pictured) is accused of helping to find 'hired thugs' to kill Mr Crawford
Carl Johnson, 28, and Liam Johnson, 20, of Ordsall, have admitted conspiring to commit grievous bodily harm against Mr Johnson but deny conspiracy to murder.
Dalli denies conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm and conspiracy to murder, as does Caroline Meighan and the 17-year-old boy.
Opening the case at Manchester Crown Court, Mr Denney said: 'This case centres upon events which took place in Burnley, on the evening of Sunday, June 14, 2015.



'On that evening Kurt Crawford had just returned by car to his front door, and had nearly reached it, when two men wearing balaclavas walked towards him. One was carrying an axe.
'The two attacked him. The axeman aimed blows towards the head and neck of Mr Crawford. The other appeared to be punching him in the abdomen. He tried to ward off the blows and picked up a blue rubbish bin to do so.'
Mr Denney added: 'Luigi Dalli and Joanna Beech were in a relationship for a little under two years - it ended in May 2015. It was a stormy relationship, on occasion Luigi Dalli used violence. The last time he did it provoked the split.
'After the split Ms Beech noticed Luigi Dalli's vehicle parked near her home in Rossendale, and members of his family began to pester her to resume the relationship. She complained to police of harassment.
'In late May she began to see Mr Crawford - shortly afterwards her car was damaged. She then began to get Facebook messages from a mysterious Suzy Boyd, saying she had damaged her car and 'you've got nice children so I'd be careful, or you're next'.
'It warned Ms Beech to stay away from Mr Crawford. Meanwhile the same Suzie Boyd was sending Mr Crawford friend requests which he ignored. Suzie Boyd was Luigi Dalli - acting out of jealousy and spite, trying to split them up, but his efforts came to nothing....by 10 o'clock (June 14) the attack had happened.'




The trial continues.