Murder accused ‘trying to protect fiancée’– court
AMAN accused of murdering a 71-year-old woman darted at her when she lunged towards his fiancée, a court heard yesterday.
David Redfern, 46, said Margaret Barnes had claimed his fiancée had stolen her handbag before lunging at her outside his house.
Redfern told police he then intervened between the women with a “footballer’s sideways block” but he overdid it and clattered into and over Mrs Barnes, a jury at Caernarfon Crown Court heard.
Earlier that evening, he said he had been “petrified and scared” to find Mrs Barnes in his bed after she mistook his five-storey seafront home in Barmouth for her B&B on July 11 last year.
He claims he “ushered” her outside with a “bear hug”.
The bank worker also denied having anger management issues but admitted he could be verbally abusive and that he sees a psychotherapist.
The jury has heard Mrs Barnes suffered a ruptured liver and neck and rib fractures.
She died at the scene from severe blunt force trauma with injuries consistent with a high-speed road traffic collision.
Junior prosecutor James Coutts read out transcripts of interviews between the police and the defendant, of Belmont House, Marine Parade, Barmouth.
Redfern claimed Mrs Barnes accused Nicky Learoyd-Lewis of stealing her handbag – which was later found in Mrs Barnes’ own suitcase – and lunged towards Ms Learoyd-Lewis in the street.
Redfern told detectives he then darted between the women to protect his fiancée, who was recovering from concussion after falling off a linen basket while reaching for something months earlier.
He told police in interview: “I travelled that distance as quickly as humanly possible in response to Margaret’s act.”
A detective suggested he had been on his knees and was a “21-stone man rising quickly” which Redfern accepted.
Redfern added: “I don’t know if my foot got caught, whether I hit Margaret with my foot or my knee. I ended up spinning over the top of Margaret, almost hitting a white car that was there.”
He added: “Imagine playing football, it was like a sideways block in football that went dreadfully wrong. With the momentum of trying to reach there I’ve collided with Margaret in some way. I’ve hit her right side.
“I know I have ended up overshooting Margaret. I ended up the other side of where Margaret was... on the floor,” the court heard.
Redfern rang police and spoke to them himself. But he denied hearing the dying Mrs Barnes say “lying”.
He accepted the whole situation had been “out of control” but denied being an aggressive person.
He asked the detectives: “How would you react to someone breaking into your house and sitting in your bed? If there’s an instruction manual about it please share it with me.”
The prosecution allege Redfern had in fact kicked or stamped on Mrs Barnes on the street.
But in his final police interview, Redfern said in a prepared statement: “I did not intend to cause the victim harm. I deny kicking the victim.
“I was not aware of the gravity of the victim’s injuries until her symptoms became acute.”
Despite the efforts of neighbours, police officers and paramedics, Mrs Barnes, a retired factory worker from Baldwins Lane, Birmingham, succumbed to her injuries.
Redfern denies murder and manslaughter.
The trial will continue on Monday.