A lady instructed police her violent associate ‘goes to finish up killing me’ weeks earlier than she was discovered lifeless with a list of appalling accidents, a courtroom has heard.
Samantha Varley, 44, visited a home abuse service in Leeds every week earlier than her physique was discovered within the flat she shared with Warren Spence, 54, in Leeds final February, jurors had been instructed.
Stephen Hill KC, prosecuting, instructed town’s crown courtroom their relationship was ‘characterised by the defendant’s controlling behaviour in the direction of Miss Varley and indiscriminate use of violence in the direction of her’.
The courtroom heard she confided to associates and relations that Spence would ‘beat her, put knives to her throat and put his arms round her throat so tightly she felt suffocated’, it was stated.
Footage was performed to the courtroom, the place Spence is on trial for homicide, exhibiting law enforcement officials visiting Sam on New Yr’s Eve 2023.
Mr Hill stated: ‘She is complaining concerning the defendant’s conduct in the direction of her, and chances are you’ll assume in a second of tragic prophecy, she says that the defendant will find yourself killing her.’
Requested what has occurred, she says: ‘He’s simply not a pleasant man. He’s scared me.
‘I’m f***ing terrified. He simply flipped. He’s nutted me.’
Sam will be heard telling the officers it occurred at dwelling and that she just isn’t taking the matter any additional.
‘I’ve requested for assist … they usually’re speculated to get again they usually haven’t received again,’ she goes on. ‘I’m screaming for assist. He’s going to finish up killing me.’
Jurors heard Sam’s physique was discovered within the couple’s basement flat in Harehills on February 12 final yr.
She had accidents to her head, chest and legs, together with chunk marks on her arms and shin, stated to have been inflicted in the midst of a ‘heavy, brutal and sustained’ assault.
A hammer mendacity close by bearing Sam’s DNA was later deemed a possible weapon by the pathologist, the courtroom heard.
Spence was arrested in Scarborough three days later.
He had stayed with a pal, who stated Spence instructed him Sam had thrown him out after a ‘barney’, the courtroom heard.
Spence refused to reply any questions throughout his police interview and declined to supply a dental impression to be in comparison with the chunk marks on Sam’s physique, jurors had been instructed.
The courtroom heard his defence is more likely to be that he was not current on the time Sam was murdered.
Mr Wooden instructed jurors Spence had a ‘lengthy historical past of committing acts of violence in the direction of different ladies he has been in relationships with’.
‘You’ll hear concerning the variety of events he has been convicted of utilizing violence in the direction of these ladies, threatening violence in the direction of these ladies, harassing these ladies and fascinating in controlling behaviours in the direction of them,’ he stated.
‘We are going to define to you particulars of a few of these offences. Taking into consideration the character of the assault upon Ms Varley, chances are you’ll want to contemplate whether or not it’s a mere coincidence that his violent behaviour previously in the direction of a associate has concerned, taking maintain of that associate by the neck and strangling them.
‘It has concerned biting that associate and, on one other event, pulling the hair of a associate.
‘Are they coincidences or does there comes some extent as we submit, the place you may safely banish all danger of coincidence?
‘The defendant is, we submit, a person who has a transparent propensity to make use of severe violence within the context of home relationships.’
The trial continues.
Get in contact with our information workforce by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For extra tales like this, check our news page.