Man ‘killed wife and passer-by pensioner who stopped to help’

A GOOD Samaritan who tried to stop a man killing his wife in the street was beaten to death with her own walking stick, a court has heard.

Sandy Seagrave, 76, intervened when she saw Daniel Appleton, 37, beating his wife, Amy, 32, on the driveway of their detached suburban home.

Seeing the attack, the 4ft 9in pensioner crossed the road and bravely tried to intervene. But Mr Appleton, who was allegedly high on a synthetic hallucinogen, grabbed her walking stick and began repeatedly hitting her on the head, the court heard.

The court heard how Mr Appleton could be heard shouting: “You all think I’m a f---ing nutcase, you all think I’m crazy, well I am going to show you, this is what I am.”

Mr Appleton, who ran a garage business, turned his attention back to his wife, Amy, who was in her underwear and trying to hide behind their car, the court heard. He beat her to death with the walking stick he had used to kill Miss Seagrave, before going into the house and stabbing himself in the chest, neck and legs, the court heard. The women were both pronounced dead at the scene, but he survived.

Yesterday, Mr Appleton went on trial at Hove Crown Court over the deaths in Crawley Down, West Sussex, just days before Christmas last year.

Prosecutors claim Mr Appleton had taken a synthetic form of LSD and was high when he launched the attacks.

Mr Appleton admits killing both women, but denies murder, claiming it was the result of a psychotic episode.

The trial continues.