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Murder suspect tortured victim before starting house fire to ‘hide evidence’, court hears

Prosecution claims motive for attack ‘appears to be sexual’

Zoe Tidman
Wednesday 15 January 2020 19:35 GMT
Kelly-Anne Case was found dead at her home in Gosport last July
Kelly-Anne Case was found dead at her home in Gosport last July

A man tortured and killed a woman before setting her home on fire to destroy evidence, a court has heard.

The body of Kelly-Anne Case’s was discovered by firefighters in a bedroom of her Hampshire property in July last year.

Her wrists had been tied together and her throat had been slit several times, Winchester Crown Court was told.

Prosecution lawyer William Mousley claimed the crime’s motive “appears to be sexual”.

Brendan Rowan-Davies is on trial accused of her murder.

Mr Mousley told the court the victim, who was found naked on her bed at her home in Gosport, had a stab wound to her shoulder and several shallow wounds above her collar bone.

He said: “These have the appearance of someone wanting to control or coerce or terrify Kelly-Anne so perhaps she would do what she was being told.”

She also suffered rib fractures that were consistent with CPR, the lawyer claimed. He said: “It could be that the killer did that at some point — if that was a change of heart it came too late.”

According to the prosecution, the defendant had visited Case with a friend, Will Vallender, who was in a sexual relationship with her, during the previous night when they allegedly drank and took cocaine.

He said during the night Mr Rowan-Davies told the victim he had “always fancied her” before she later went to bed with Mr Vallender.

The prosecution lawyer claimed the pair left in the morning but the defendant was seen to return to Ms Case’s home in Grange Crescent about an hour later.

Mr Mousley told the court the defendant was seen burning clothes, containing DNA matches to him and the victim, and throwing away items, including women’s underwear, later that morning.

Mr Rowan-Davies has pleaded not guilty to murder and arson.

The trial at Winchester Crown Court continues.

Press Association contributed to this report

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