A person brutally murdered a canine proprietor by strangling him in his personal home – earlier than returning later steal his sufferer’s beloved labradoodle, a court docket has been advised.
Donald Patience’s physique initially lay found below a quilt cowl on the backside of his stairs by police who responded to reviews of a housebreaking on the finish terrace home in Radcliffe, Greater Manchester.
A postman had known as 999 on the morning of August 22 final 12 months to report seeing a male determine climbing by means of a rear window of the property, in Ashworth Road, and heard a noise like somebody trying to power entry.
The identical male later emerged from the again backyard with a “medium-sized, fluffy” white canine on a lead, Manchester Crown Court heard.
The Crown says Ian Connell, 39, was the person who had entered the tackle and that a while from August 19 onwards had murdered Mr Patience, generally identified by his center title Prentice.
Opening the prosecution case on Tuesday, Michael Hayton KC advised jurors that Mr Patience was an “educated man” who had roots in Scotland.
He mentioned: “He was a person who had access to money. He beforehand labored, had businesses, and had household money from property. It is true that due to his access to money there have been individuals who wished to prey upon his good nature, borrow money from him – perhaps a few of these loans could be paid with curiosity – however the Crown say his monetary position is of significance.
“The Crown say it’s the purpose, possibly, that he was discovered deceased and decomposing on the foot of his personal stairs by a police officer following a report of a housebreaking on the property.
“The solely doable clarification for Mr Patience’s dying is that stress was utilized to his neck till he was useless. He was strangled to dying. The almost definitely clarification is that it adopted an argument of some kind about money.
“Mr Patience’s access to money and in addition maybe his good nature led to others making the most of him, abusing his generosity and utilizing his access to funds.
“The Crown say one such person who sought to take benefit on this approach was Ian Connell, and money was central to lots of the communications between the 2 males within the lead as much as Mr Patience’s dying.
“The Crown doesn’t must show a motive, however we are saying an inexpensive conclusion from the proof is that money was a part of what occurred in Ashworth Road final 12 months.”
Connell, of Duke Street, Bolton, denies the homicide of Mr Patience who he later advised police he beloved “like a brother”. He has additionally pleaded not responsible to another depend of manslaughter.
Jurors had been advised the defendant additionally approached two strangers on the street earlier than police arrived on the scene.
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He seen one of many males had a bandage on his thumb and advised them he too had a hand harm as he confirmed them a “thick, pink mark” throughout his palm which he mentioned he obtained after a row together with his girlfriend.
Connell was detained on suspicion of housebreaking when one of many responding cops recognised the labradoodle from a earlier interplay with Mr Patience, the court docket heard.
He was discovered to be in possession of a pockets containing Mr Patience’s driving licence and library card.
Mr Hayton mentioned Connell started to “inform the primary of many lies” on the scene after which later in interview following his arrest on suspicion of homicide.
He mentioned: “When requested why he was walking the labradoodle he acknowledged Mr Patience had phoned him and requested to walk it. We say that could be a lie, as a result of Mr Patience had been useless for a while. He mentioned Mr Patience was in Scotland, one other lie. Mr Connell knew that he was useless on the backside of the steps.
“The Crown say merely that by August 22 he was actually useless and he grew to become deceased in some unspecified time in the future from August 19 onwards.”
The prosecutor mentioned the jury will hear proof from a pathologist whose opinion was that Mr Patience died from a “sustained interval of stress to the neck” from both some type of ligature – corresponding to an merchandise of clothes – or manually by fingers.
Mr Hayton mentioned Connell initially acknowledged to detectives that the property in Ashworth Road was his home tackle and he had lived there for 12 months.
He went on to say Mr Patience was alive when he left the home on August 21, jurors had been advised, however then gave an account through which he mentioned he awoke on the tackle and located Mr Patience deceased earlier than he tried to maneuver him upstairs.
Mr Hayton went on: “He mentioned he could not have killed him as a result of he beloved him like a dad or a brother and mentioned he would discover who had killed him. He mentioned he lied early within the interview course of due to worry. The Crown say the one worry was the worry of being held accountable for what he had achieved.
“At the center of this case is the query of who killed Donald Patience. The Crown say that the proof will present that the person accountable is Mr Connell. A person he left regardless of the love he presupposed to really feel for him, a person left decomposing on the ground whereas he callously went about his day-to-day life.”
The trial, estimated to final two weeks, continues tomorrow.
