 Sensing trouble, Anthony Walker and his friends started to walk to the next bus stop further down St John's Road towards Huyton village. The three teenagers decided to take a short cut through McGoldrick Park because they were afraid they were being followed. At the same time, Barton grabbed the mountaineering axe and jumped in Taylor's car, a Peugeot 406. Taylor drove at speed to McGoldrick Park and lay in wait for Anthony and the others. As the group passed some bushes, they were ambushed by Barton, Taylor and possibly other youths. Louise and Marcus fled the scene, but Anthony was not so fortunate and was struck to the head with an axe, with such force that it was embedded in his skull. The wide end of the axe was swung into Anthony's head and penetrated the brain tissue to a depth of between six and seven centimetres. Anthony, a devout Christian, was taken to hospital where surgeons battled to remove the weapon. He died a few hours later during the early hours of July 30. The fatal blow was struck by Taylor, but the weapon was provided by Barton, who had been seen using it to vandalise the pub sign two days earlier. After the axe attack, Taylor and Barton set about trying to destroy the evidence. Barton tried to remove the axe as Anthony lay dying in the park entrance and when he failed he went to his house where the two killers took showers, and bagged up their clothes and shoes before burning them. He took his passport and Taylor took his younger brother's and they arranged to pick up a car at the Brick Wall pub in Netherley Road. Barton drove the Vauxhall Vectra they picked up to Dover and they boarded the 6am ferry from Dover to Calais, before driving on to Amsterdam. During the trial Neil Flewitt QC, prosecuting, said: "Whilst they were abroad, Michael Barton spoke on the telephone to his brother, Joey Barton. "Among other things, he said, 'Listen, I was there but I didn't kill him, it was Chomper, Chomper killed him.' "Chomper is Paul Taylor's nickname." | 
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