Pensioner died ‘after attack with vegetable knife’
Man, 58, denies murder of Geoffrey Ives
AMURDER accused stabbed an elderly man to death before breaking into his ex-partner’s home armed with a knife, prosecutors allege.
Andrew Hall, 58, allegedly attacked 75-year-old Geoffrey Ives with a vegetable knife. Geoffrey was sadly found days later ‘slumped’ in front of the sofa in his flat in Heywood, a court heard.
Mr Hall then got a taxi to Middleton where he is accused of ‘smashing’ the conservatory doors of his ex-partner Julie Proctor, before threatening to kill her five children who were in the house at the time.
He was wrestled to the ground by her 22-year-old son, Jack Dunleavy, it was said.
Mr Hall, of Heywood, denies murdering Mr Ives and is facing trial at Minshull Street Crown Court.
Prosecutors said that Mr Ives was in a relationship with Mr Hall’s mother but the two men had a good relationship, with Mr Hall often staying at Mr Ives flat.
“Therefore, the motive for the defendant killing Mr Ives is not entirely clear, but the Crown says that you will see such evidence of the defendant’s pent up anger and frustration for much of the night.
“Mr Ives did not have to do much wrong by the defendant to be at the wrong end of his dangerous temper,” Rob Hall, prosecuting, said.
Jurors were told that the defendant had been in a relationship with Julie
Proctor, 47, since 2018, but they had split up in October last year due to his ‘obsession’ with her former partners. He went on to send her ‘abusive’ voicemails and texts threatening to kill her, and later pleaded guilty to three offences of harassment, the court heard.
As part of his sentence he was handed a 12 month restraining order banning him from contacting Ms Proctor in any way and prohibiting him from going to her home on Rochdale Road, the prosecutor said.
On January 27 this year, cell site analysis of Mr Hall’s phone and CCTV footage showed him walking to Mr Ives flat, arriving at around 9.57pm.
He then left around twenty minutes later, briefly returning for 30 seconds before leaving and getting a taxi to Middleton, it was said.
A post mortem report later revealed that Mr Ives, who was 5ft 4in, had sustained four stab wounds to his neck and two stab wounds to his face.
“The wounds were of such depth it ruptured major blood vessels in his neck, causing substantial blood loss, unconsciousness and death,” the prosecutor continued.
Mr Ives also had defensive injuries to his hand where he was fighting off the attack, he added.
Chilling 999 call heard Mr Hall was then captured on CCTV going into ZK off licence on Hollin Lane in Middleton to buy a drink, before walking to Ms Proctor’s home. This put him in breach of his restraining order, and he had since pleaded guilty to that offence, jurors were told.
He went on to smash through the conservatory door from ‘ceiling to floor’ and was allegedly armed with the knife he had used during the assault upon Mr Ives, prosecutors allege. Ms Proctor was out socialising with some friends at the time, but her five children were in the house.
At 10.58pm, 19 minutes after leaving the off licence, another one of her children, aged 18, made a 999 call to report Mr Hall’s entry to the house, it was said.
Playing the 999 call to the court, the young woman could be heard saying to the operator: “He’s trying to get in, smashing the windows .... Please hurry up .... He’s in the house... he’s hitting my brother, oh my god... I’m actually so scared.”
Mr Dunleavy, the eldest of Ms Proctor, managed to restrain Mr Hall on the floor before police arrived.
During the struggle Mr Hall received a cut to his head and was taken to hospital, the court heard.
He was found to have superficial injuries to his head including bruising, and had a CT scan, but there were no reported concerns. Mr Hall was arrested for the aggravated burglary the following day, before police were aware of Mr Ives’ death. On January 29, however, they received a call from a worried neighbour who had not seen Mr
Ives for a few days but saw that the lights were on, it was said.
Police attended his home and forced entry, to find Mr Ives dead.
“Regrettably it’s a feature in this case that the duty inspector that night, not properly armed with information, declared his death as non suspicious, and the flat was boarded up,” Mr Hall said. “Following a post mortem examination two days later, it was found there were stab wounds to his neck and so it was suggested that his death was suspicious.”
A police investigation ensued and the defendant was later arrested. It was suggested that Mr Hall is likely to say that he has no recollection of the incident and had no intention to cause the death, or really serious harm of Mr Ives. Mr Hall, of Crown Road, Heywood, denies murder, an alternate offence of manslaughter and aggravated burglary.
The trial, which is scheduled to last for three weeks, continues.