A shocking discovery on a South Yorkshire farm has left a police officer and the community reeling. In July 2025, PC Christopher Sheard uncovered the human remains of Richard Dyson, 55, inside a concrete-filled barrel on farmland near Barnsley. The gruesome find was made during an evidence presentation at Sheffield Crown Court.
Mr Dyson had been missing for six years before his body was discovered in the padlocked livestock trailer at Alderthwaite Farm. PC Sheard testified that upon lifting a foam mat from the barrel, he was immediately struck by a powerful stench of decomposition that caused his eyes to water and left him gasping for breath. Flies emerged from the barrel, adding to the overwhelming smell.
Further details of the find were provided by Detective Constable Tom Ryan, who described human bones visible through the concrete within the barrel. Prosecutors claim Christopher Wright, 73, of Hoyland, murdered Mr Dyson in retaliation for allegedly stealing a machine gun from him in 2019. The alleged motive led to the dismembered body being concealed inside the barrel.
Following the alleged killing, Wright is accused of asking Ian Ollerenshaw to store the trailer containing the barrel on his land. Wright denies charges of murder, preventing lawful burial, and several firearms offences linked to a stash of illegal weapons found on his tenanted farm. Co-defendant Karl Schwalbe has pleaded not guilty to perverting the course of justice in relation to concealing Mr Dyson's remains.
The trial, which is expected to last eight weeks, continues at Sheffield Crown Court with Wright charged with murder and Schwalbe facing charges related to his alleged involvement. Prosecutors must now prove their case against the two defendants amid a complex web of allegations.