Murder accused told son ‘I will kill him’ in final text
The son of a woman on trial for murder told a jury her final text to him before she’s accused of fatally stabbing pub landlord Matthew Bryant was ‘I will also kill him’.
Stephanie Langley exchanged messages with Cameron Langley-McColm just an hour before the 52-yearold was killed in Maidstone on September 11 last year.
But giving evidence on Tuesday at Maidstone Crown Court, Mr Langley-McColm told the jury he regarded the final message he received at 5.05pm as “just a phrase”.
He told the court: “You never really think anyone means that when upset. It’s just a phrase some people use and I didn’t think anything of it.”
Langley, 54, of Wilsons Lane, East Farleigh, denies murder and the alternative offence of manslaughter but has admitted possessing a knife.
The prosecution alleges she murdered Mr Bryant outside the Hare and Hounds pub in Lower Boxley Road, which he had run since 2015, in what was an “irrational but deliberate” attack.
Although once related by marriage, they had not seen each other for more than 20 years, bar an incident in March or May last year when Langley joined her son and his girlfriend for a drink at the pub Mr Langley-McColm played for the pool team but had no idea of the family link until that incident.
Langley, described as usually “happy, outgoing and very kind”, was said to have been “very distraught and in complete and utter shock” when she saw Mr Bryant in the pub that day.
Mr Langley-McColm told the court his mum “expressed her emotions” by being noisy and shouting so he tried to “deescalate” the situation and take her home.
He said she “sincerely” apologised for her behaviour the next day, explaining to him why she had reacted that way. “At the time I was still quite confused why she was emotional and upset, and that’s when she explained to me the events that happened all those years ago,” Mr LangleyMcColm told the jury.
“She told me that his behaviour .... was very abusive and there was rape involved as well.”
On the afternoon of the alleged murder, mum-of-two Langley spoke to her son in a series of messages.
These included a request to run some errands but he made an excuse about driving home from work in London as he wanted to go to the gym.
In a message containing instructions for dinner and feeding the pets, she told him: “I’m very down and I need you.
“Don’t call me, I need time out and will be home soon. Of course, in an emergency call but please try to cope.” Mr Langley-McColm said he was “concerned” as the message showed she “had some stresses” in her life at that time.
It was when he replied to tell her he would be playing pool that evening, that she told him “Enjoy your pool with the w ***** ” followed up by “Oops” and then a little later “Go play with the one that is a w ***** .” Langley then added “I'll see you there” followed by “Crazy mum, remember”.
The court heard that at 6.06pm Mr Bryant was stabbed three times.
Just seconds earlier Mr Bryant had made a 999 call to report Langley had threatened to kill him. The line to the emergency operator was still open when he was knifed.
The trial continues.
‘You never really think anyone means that when upset. It’s just a phrase...’