Ingoldmells murder trial: Jury hears closing speeches

Jurors in the case of a man accused of killing his partner on her 64th birthday were today (Tuesday) told that the couple had a dysfunctional relationship.
The caravan park where the alleged murder took place.The caravan park where the alleged murder took place.
The caravan park where the alleged murder took place.

Michael Magarian QC, representing the defendant Andrew Highton, urged the jury at Lincoln Crown Court to acquit his client of murdering Linda Treeby.

In his closing speech he told the jury that if they reject self defence they had two routes to a manslaughter verdict,

"One route is that he didn't intend to cause grievous bodily harm. Even if you find that was what he did intend you can still find him guilty of manslaughter by loss of control.

"This was a dysfunctional relationship. The defendant loved her. He still loves her. He killed her but he still loves her. The idea that he intended to kill her is really stretching it."

Highton, who had been in an on-off relationship with Linda Treeby for around seven years, is alleged to have launched a savage attack on her after they returned to their caravan on the Summerlands site at Ingoldmells following a visit to a pub.

The prosecution say he punched, kicked and stamped on her and smashed a glass ashtray into her face before leaving her dying in a pool of blood on the caravan floor. She was pronounced dead later the same evening and was found to have 34 separate injuries to her body including fractures to her nose and a bone in her throat. She also suffered bleeding on the brain.

Highton has claimed he only punched her and did not kick, stamp on her or hit her with the ashtray.

Prosecutor William Harbage QC described Highton as filled with jealousy and resentment. He told the jury "He assaulted her so severely she died. It was not just two or three or four punches. You could never have caused that much damage with so few punches.

"He must have struck her again and again and again and again. He smashed her nose. It was broken into pieces. How was that caused by a punch?

"We say that that this attack was savage. We say it was brutal. We say that at the time he was delivering those punches to her head he must have been trying to kill her.

"What else could he have been intending by striking her repeatedly in that way? We say you can be sure this man is guilty of murder."

Andrew Highton, 51, of Highbury Road, Bulwell, Nottingham, denies murder and an alternative charge of manslaughter on 29 May this year.

The trial continues.