Overview

• A jury at Maidstone Crown Court found 59-year-old Stephen Castle guilty of strangling 54-year-old Wayne Woodgate on May 28
• Castle abducted Woodgate after a chance encounter in Tunbridge Wells on October 17, 2024, and the victim’s body was discovered the next day in woodland off the A268 in Peasmarsh, East Sussex
• Released bodycam footage shows Castle joking “he is under my bed in my flat” when officers questioned him about Woodgate’s whereabouts
• At trial, Castle admitted to killing Woodgate but denied intent and pleaded guilty to manslaughter before the jury delivered a unanimous murder verdict
• He faces sentencing on June 26 at Maidstone Crown Court