Lying in a pool of blood
A NEIGHBOUR of grandma-of-five Molly Wright told a murder trial jury he saw the widow lying in a pool of blood in her bungalow after being called by her-son in-law.
Eric Smith, of Redhill Gardens, said he was woken from an afternoon nap by someone shouting his name on the day of the alleged attack,Wednesday September 27 2006.
Leeds Crown Court heard on Thursday (April 10) that when Mr Smith went outside to see who was calling him, he saw Mrs Wright's son-in-law and business partner David Hill.
Hill denies her murder.
Mr Smith, who had lived next door to the 73-year-old for four years, told the court: "I heard David shouting 'Eric, come quickly, Molly's been attacked'."
Mr Smith followed Hill, 48, of Lakeside Meadows, Pontefract, into the bungalow and saw Mrs Wright lying on the kitchen floor with a pool of blood by her right leg and a bloodied pillow under her head.
The neighbour said: "When I went to examine her, I thought her mouth had been smashed in because there were blood clots.
"He (Hill] was kneeling to start doing some compressions and it was at that time I think he (Hill] said to me 'I think she's dead'."
The jury heard a recording of Hill's 999 call after he "discovered" the body at 3.24pm.
He told the operator: "I've just been to my mother-in-law's house. She's been attacked. I think she's dead."
In a further recording, made when the ambulance service called back, Mr Smith – who was by then present – told the operator: "It's looking like the lady has been attacked."
He said Mrs Wright was bleeding from her mouth, had possibly suffered head injuries and was unconscious.
Nicholas Campbell QC, prosecuting, had previously told the jury a heavy curved weapon used to inflict 15 head injuries causing skull fractures could have been a white resin elephant from the mantelpiece in Mrs Wright's living room.
The prosecution claim Hill – who was Mrs Wright's business partner at their toy and greetings card stall at Castleford indoor market and £20,000 in debt – was secretly writing himself cheques from their joint bank account to keep his creditors at bay.
Proceeding.
Keep checking www.pontefractandcastlefordexpress.co.uk for daily updates from court.
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