Eric Smith, of Redhill Gardens, told a murder trial jury at Leeds Crown Court he felt "out of his depth" after he was called to the 73-year-old's home by her son-in-law and business partner, David Hill, on Wednesday September 27 2006.

Hill, 48, of Lakeside Meadows, Pontefract, claims he found Mrs Wright "already dead" on the kitchen floor.

He denies her murder.

Mr Smith, who is still having counselling over what he saw that day, told the jury he followed Hill into Mrs Wright's bungalow and shortly after, the phone rang.

He said Hill told him he was expecting a call from the ambulance service and answered it.

Mr Smith said he knelt down by Mrs Wright, and tried to clear clots of blood from out of her airway, but a "mini waterfall" of blood flowed out in "slow motion".

Mr Smith – who had some first aid experience – told the court he felt for a pulse, but could not find any, and noticed Mrs Wright's cardigan was covered with sticky blood.

He said: "I looked at Molly's right ear and thought there was dried blood in it.

"I thought this woman's dead. I'm out of my depth here, I haven't got a clue what to do."

He said he took the phone from Hill – who he noticed already had blood on his head and chest and was in a state of shock – and they swapped places.

He said: "I thought what the hell happened here."

While he spoke to the operator, he told the court he saw Hill crouched next to Mrs Wright doing chest compressions, but he thought they were too relaxed, as though he didn't want to hurt her.

Mr Smith said: "I had a gut feeling that there was something wrong here. It was not going as it would normally. There was just something wrong.

"I thought I'm out of my depth here, there's blood here on Molly's belly and blood coming out of her mouth and nose that continues every time I try to do something. I thought I need to get help."

Mr Smith said he put Mrs Wright into the recovery position and went back to his home where he called a police sergeant he knew.

When he returned to Mrs Wright's bungalow, he said he saw Hill on his knees crying by his mother-in-law's feet and told him: "Come on, mate, it's time we weren't here."

As police officers came in, he guided Hill out and took him to his house.

He said Hill was "agitated and upset".

After making him a hot drink and helping him calm down by walking in the garden, Mr Smith said he kept being "bothered" by dark patches of blood over Hill's denim jacket.

He said: "I was looking at him and I was staring at him and he said: 'What are you f**king looking at?' I said: "David, if I was you, you'd be looking at me.'"

He said Hill seemed angry and replied: "I gave her a big cuddle."

Mr Smith added: "My common sense said it fitted."

Nicholas Campbell QC, prosecuting, asked: "Had you seen David Hill do anything like he described to you, cuddling Molly?"

Mr Smith replied: "No, I hadn't."

Pathologist Professor Peter Vanezis, who carried out a post mortem on Mrs Wright's body, told the jury she died of multiple head injuries.

He said she sustained 15 separate substantial injuries – including fractures to her skull and facial skeleton.

He added Mrs Wright had bruising to her right hand, which suggested she had tried to defend herself against her attacker.

When Mr Campbell asked him what kind of weapon could have caused the injuries, Prof Vanezis replied: "All I will say is that it was caused by a fairly heavy, blunt object with a curved edge."

He said he believed it would have been used "very forcefully".

When asked by Robert Smith QC, defending, if a white resin elephant ornament on Mrs Wright's mantelpiece could have been the weapon used to deliver the fatal blows, he said he could not rule it out.

The prosecution claim debt-ridden Hill – who was Mrs Wright's business partner at their toy and greetings card stall at Castleford indoor market – was secretly writing himself cheques from their joint bank account to keep his creditors at bay and bludgeoned Mrs Wright to death after "losing his temper".

Proceeding.

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