By . Martin Robinson . PUBLISHED: . 10:41 EST, 6 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:32 EST, 6 November 2013 . A rent boy murdered a gay man and 'left him to rot' in his seaside flat for nearly two months after bleeding him dry financially, a court has heard. The badly decomposed body of Michael Polding, 62, was found by police neatly positioned and wrapped up in bedding on July 16 last year. Mr Polding, who lived in a rented two-bedroom basement flat in St George's Road, Brighton, died nearly two months earlier from 'blunt force trauma' to his chest, a jury was told. Prosecutor Philip Katz QC told Lewes Crown Court that he was murdered by Ricardo Pisano, 36, who he met in December 2009 after advertising himself in a gay magazine as a rent boy. Trial: Michael Polding, 62, was found dead in his seaside flat in Brighton allegedly at the hands of Ricardo Pisano, who denies murder and grievous bodily harm . Opening the Crown's case at the start of a five-week trial, Mr Katz said that Pisano, who used a number of different names, moved in with Mr Polding while he lived in Croydon, south London, then followed him down to Brighton. Mr Katz told the jury of nine women and three men: 'The prosecution say that really from the word go this defendant lived off Michael Polding financially. 'He had no job and no income, and when Mr Polding decided to sell up in Croydon and move to Brighton, this defendant moved with him. 'The Crown's case is that this defendant and other friends of his effectively bled Mr Polding dry financially and this defendant, while in this period, pretended to act as his carer and even godson. 'In fact, we say he abused and assaulted Mr Polding, resulting in a serious assault. 'We say that he eventually killed him, and having killed him, left him to rot.' Undiscovered: Michael Polding, 63, was found dead in his flat in St. George's Road, Brighton, pictured, two months after his death . Pisano evaded capture for nearly a year until he was arrested at a house in Southampton, Hampshire, on May 7 under a different name, Mr Katz added. In police interview, Pisano claimed he had come home to Mr Polding's flat to find he had committed suicide by hanging himself from a bannister, towards the end of May last year. Mr Katz said: 'He said he tried and failed to revive Mr Polding and had then panicked. 'He said there were people in South Africa who wanted to kill him and his family and that was why he had been unable to tell anyone about the death of Mr Polding, and that was why he had to flee the scene and not tell anyone what happened.' Mr Polding, who came from a large Scots family, had previously been in a long-term relationship but had been drinking heavily and suffered health problems, including osteoporosis. Despite his numerous problems, his family did not consider him the 'suicidal type', Mr Katz said. Pisano, formerly of Methuen Street, Southampton, denies murder and causing grievous bodily harm but has admitted preventing the lawful and decent burial of a body, the jury has heard. Mr Polding had moved to Brighton for a 'fresh start' after losing his job in Croydon. He used part of the proceeds of the sale of his flat in Croydon to pay a year's rent up-front in Brighton, jurors heard. Emmett Friel, who had lodged at Mr Polding's Brighton flat, was originally arrested on suspicion of his murder but later eliminated from inquiries, Mr Katz said. The evidence to be produced by Mr Friel and a third friend of Pisano's, Hannington Obote, will portray a 'chaotic lifestyle and general fecklessness'. Case: Pisano, denies murder and causing grievous bodily harm but has admitted preventing the lawful and decent burial of a body, Lewes Crown Court heard . Mr Katz told the jury: 'He, Mr Friel, like the defendant, seems to have had few moral scruples about spending Mr Polding's money. 'He will, however, give an insight which the prosecution say will establish that the relationship between Mr Polding and the defendant became increasingly abusive on the defendant's part. 'It shows an escalating pattern of violence on Mr Polding.' In late 2011, early 2012 Mr Friel, Mr Obote and Pisano started setting up a hairdressing salon in north London under the name 'Fate' using Mr Polding's cash. Mr Katz said: 'This money was effectively Mr Polding's and that was being frittered away. This salon only traded in a brief way but it was pretty doomed to fail from the start.' After selling his flat in Croydon, Mr Polding asked one of his sisters to take control of a 'nest-egg' for him using part of the proceeds from the sale. Mr Katz said that a couple of weeks before he died, Mr Polding contacted his sister to ask her to transfer £500, which she agreed to do. Later the same day, he telephoned her again asking for another £100. Mr Katz said that in the background Pisano could be heard asking her to send over more - £1,500. She again complied to his request, and never heard from her brother again. Mr Katz said Pisano used a number of different mobile phones. His claim to police following his arrest that he was in London during a key period proved false as telephone evidence pointed to his devices all being used in the Brighton area, it was claimed. The court also heard that Pisano sent a 'false text' to Mr Polding's mobile after he allegedly murdered him in an effort to shift suspicion. The text said: 'Sweets, I'm still at the shop, worried about Han (Hannington). He went missing. Will be in London for a few days. Meeting Emmett tomorrow. Call me please.' Mr Katz said: 'The prosecution's case is that this was a false text sent to a man (Pisano) knew was dead and was covering his tracks with this rather callous, anxious text, and indeed that text was never read.' The trial continues. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons.
Michael Polding, 62, found wrapped in bedding two months after death .
Ricardo Pisano, 36, who he met via a gay magazine advert, denies murder .
Prosecution say he lived off Mr Polding's cash before beating him to death .
'He abused, assaulted and eventually killed him and left him to rot,' QC says .
By . Martin Robinson . PUBLISHED: . 10:41 EST, 6 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:32 EST, 6 November 2013 . A rent boy murdered a gay man and 'left him to rot' in his seaside flat for nearly two months after bleeding him dry financially, a court has heard. The badly decomposed body of Michael Polding, 62, was found by police neatly positioned and wrapped up in bedding on July 16 last year. Mr Polding, who lived in a rented two-bedroom basement flat in St George's Road, Brighton, died nearly two months earlier from 'blunt force trauma' to his chest, a jury was told. Prosecutor Philip Katz QC told Lewes Crown Court that he was murdered by Ricardo Pisano, 36, who he met in December 2009 after advertising himself in a gay magazine as a rent boy. Trial: Michael Polding, 62, was found dead in his seaside flat in Brighton allegedly at the hands of Ricardo Pisano, who denies murder and grievous bodily harm . Opening the Crown's case at the start of a five-week trial, Mr Katz said that Pisano, who used a number of different names, moved in with Mr Polding while he lived in Croydon, south London, then followed him down to Brighton. Mr Katz told the jury of nine women and three men: 'The prosecution say that really from the word go this defendant lived off Michael Polding financially. 'He had no job and no income, and when Mr Polding decided to sell up in Croydon and move to Brighton, this defendant moved with him. 'The Crown's case is that this defendant and other friends of his effectively bled Mr Polding dry financially and this defendant, while in this period, pretended to act as his carer and even godson. 'In fact, we say he abused and assaulted Mr Polding, resulting in a serious assault. 'We say that he eventually killed him, and having killed him, left him to rot.' Undiscovered: Michael Polding, 63, was found dead in his flat in St. George's Road, Brighton, pictured, two months after his death . Pisano evaded capture for nearly a year until he was arrested at a house in Southampton, Hampshire, on May 7 under a different name, Mr Katz added. In police interview, Pisano claimed he had come home to Mr Polding's flat to find he had committed suicide by hanging himself from a bannister, towards the end of May last year. Mr Katz said: 'He said he tried and failed to revive Mr Polding and had then panicked. 'He said there were people in South Africa who wanted to kill him and his family and that was why he had been unable to tell anyone about the death of Mr Polding, and that was why he had to flee the scene and not tell anyone what happened.' Mr Polding, who came from a large Scots family, had previously been in a long-term relationship but had been drinking heavily and suffered health problems, including osteoporosis. Despite his numerous problems, his family did not consider him the 'suicidal type', Mr Katz said. Pisano, formerly of Methuen Street, Southampton, denies murder and causing grievous bodily harm but has admitted preventing the lawful and decent burial of a body, the jury has heard. Mr Polding had moved to Brighton for a 'fresh start' after losing his job in Croydon. He used part of the proceeds of the sale of his flat in Croydon to pay a year's rent up-front in Brighton, jurors heard. Emmett Friel, who had lodged at Mr Polding's Brighton flat, was originally arrested on suspicion of his murder but later eliminated from inquiries, Mr Katz said. The evidence to be produced by Mr Friel and a third friend of Pisano's, Hannington Obote, will portray a 'chaotic lifestyle and general fecklessness'. Case: Pisano, denies murder and causing grievous bodily harm but has admitted preventing the lawful and decent burial of a body, Lewes Crown Court heard . Mr Katz told the jury: 'He, Mr Friel, like the defendant, seems to have had few moral scruples about spending Mr Polding's money. 'He will, however, give an insight which the prosecution say will establish that the relationship between Mr Polding and the defendant became increasingly abusive on the defendant's part. 'It shows an escalating pattern of violence on Mr Polding.' In late 2011, early 2012 Mr Friel, Mr Obote and Pisano started setting up a hairdressing salon in north London under the name 'Fate' using Mr Polding's cash. Mr Katz said: 'This money was effectively Mr Polding's and that was being frittered away. This salon only traded in a brief way but it was pretty doomed to fail from the start.' After selling his flat in Croydon, Mr Polding asked one of his sisters to take control of a 'nest-egg' for him using part of the proceeds from the sale. Mr Katz said that a couple of weeks before he died, Mr Polding contacted his sister to ask her to transfer £500, which she agreed to do. Later the same day, he telephoned her again asking for another £100. Mr Katz said that in the background Pisano could be heard asking her to send over more - £1,500. She again complied to his request, and never heard from her brother again. Mr Katz said Pisano used a number of different mobile phones. His claim to police following his arrest that he was in London during a key period proved false as telephone evidence pointed to his devices all being used in the Brighton area, it was claimed. The court also heard that Pisano sent a 'false text' to Mr Polding's mobile after he allegedly murdered him in an effort to shift suspicion. The text said: 'Sweets, I'm still at the shop, worried about Han (Hannington). He went missing. Will be in London for a few days. Meeting Emmett tomorrow. Call me please.' Mr Katz said: 'The prosecution's case is that this was a false text sent to a man (Pisano) knew was dead and was covering his tracks with this rather callous, anxious text, and indeed that text was never read.' The trial continues. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons.
who he met in December 2009 after advertising himself in a gay magazine as a rent boy. Trial: Michael Polding, 62, was found dead in his of Ricardo Pisano, who denies murder and grievous abused and assaulted Mr Polding, resulting in a killed him, and having killed him, left him to Brighton, pictured, two months after his death . 'Fate' using Mr Polding's cash. Mr Katz said: