David Hill, 48, allegedly struck widow Molly Wright over the head at least eight times with a heavy curved weapon – possibly an ornamental elephant – during a two to three-minute attack at her home in Redhill Gardens on Wednesday September 27 2006.


Nicholas Campbell QC, prosecuting, told a jury at Leeds Crown Court that Hill fled the scene, but later returned and dialled 999 to say he had found 73-year-old Mrs Wright "already dead" in a pool of blood on the kitchen floor.


It is alleged that Hill was in debt by £20,000 and had been secretly taking money from a joint business account he shared with market trader Mrs Wright to keep his creditors at bay until he and his wife Maxine received £135,000 they were expecting from his late father-in-law's estate.


Mr Campbell said: "The relationship between Molly Wright and David Hill was far from the picture of family happiness he was trying to paint for the police.
"He was in financial difficulties. It's likely that in spite of his efforts to conceal them that she had discovered something of his dealings with their joint account.


"For some reason, she had already stopped her solicitor from applying for probate on her husband's estate, knowing that through Maxine he was to benefit."
The court heard forensic evidence at the scene indicated that Hill was responsible for the attack on Mrs Wright.


Mr Campbell said that the clothing of other people who attended the scene was not as bloodstained as Hill's jeans, denim jacket and polo shirt, which contained unclotted blood which he told the jury indicated it had come from "impact into a fresh injury".


Hill allegedly told one of Mr Wright's neighbours, Eric Smith, that he had cuddled his mother-in-law at the scene but Mr Campbell said: "There is no evidence of him having cradled her in the manner he recalled."


The jury was told another man had been arrested shortly after the attack because he was seen with blood on his clothing, but he was eliminated from the inquiry after forensic tests.
Mr Campbell said: "Hill visited Molly Wright at Redhill Gardens that afternoon, but earlier than he would have you believe.


"There was a confrontation in the living room there.
"Whatever was said between them was hardly a motive for murder, but it would have been enough for him to lose his temper and in temper he struck her with a weapon that came to hand.


"Having struck, he continued until she was beyond help.
"Instead of then seeking help, he did what he could to cover his tracks and then he began to tell his lies."
Hill denies murder.


Proceeding.
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