Arguments heard before woman was found dead -court
THE uncle of a woman who was allegedly beaten to death by her boyfriend said he heard them arguing the night before she was found dead.
Michelle Denise Rosser, 38, was found lifeless on a sofa at the home she shared with her partner Simon Winstone, 50, in Bedlinog, Merthyr Tydfil, on May 29.
Winstone, who is on trial at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court, denies murdering Ms Rosser, known as Denise to her friends and family, in the culmination of a campaign of domestic abuse, claiming he woke up to find her dead at the bottom of the stairs.
A post-mortem examination heard Ms Rosser had suffered a ruptured kidney, bruising to the brain, a fractured skull, 28 rib fractures, bruising to her heart and lungs and multiple bruises and grazes to her face, neck, back, skull, arms, legs and torso.
Yesterday, Ms Rosser’s uncle David Hughes gave evidence. He said he lived opposite the home of Ms Rosser and Winstone in Lewis Street and had done for some time.
Prosecutor Michael Jones QC asked Mr Hughes: “You were aware for some years Denise was in a relationship with Simon Winstone. When you, on May 29, made a statement to police, you described how you would see her with two black eyes and a thick lip.”
Mr Hughes said: “Correct.” The court heard that on May 28, the day before Ms Rosser’s death, she had knocked on Mr Hughes’ door twice.
On the first occasion, at about 3.30pm, Mr Hughes said Ms Rosser had wanted to speak to his wife but she was out at the time.
He told Mr Jones that he believed she had been drinking but he did not see any injuries on her face. He added: “Usually she always had marks on her face, obviously I couldn’t see under her clothes.”
Describing her appearance, Mr Hughes said: “She looked dishevelled. She was wearing grey tracky bottoms and one shoe. I asked her where was the other shoe and she might have said something like it was back in the house.”
At about 8pm the same day, Mr Hughes said he was making his way to the stables where he had a horse and he could hear people arguing at Ms Rosser’s home.
He said: “It was a common occurrence. It was a male and female voice and I heard the female voice say ‘f*** off and leave me alone.’”
The second occasion Ms Rosser came to Mr Hughes’ house at 8.45pm was the last time he saw his niece alive.
He said: “She asked if I could call her in the morning at 7.45am because she had an appointment with her probation officer. She was looking dishevelled again.”
At 10.30pm, Mr Hughes passed Ms Rosser’s home as he walked his wife Anne back home from a friend’s house.
He said: “Outside the house, a bin had been turned over and I could still hear voices. It was Denise’s voice and Simon’s voice and they were raised. I lingered outside our house but then it seemed to be quiet again so I went inside.”
The trial continues.
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