Jury hears 'massacre' evidence

The family were found dead at their home in Clydach

A murder trial in Swansea has heard graphic prosecution evidence of an alleged "massacre" at a house in a south Wales village in which an entire family was killed.

Scrap metal dealer David George Morris, 39, from Craig Cefn Parc in the Swansea Valley denies the murders of Mandy Power, 34, her mother Doris Dawson, 80, and her young daughters Katie,10 and Emily, eight.

David Morris: Denies the murders

Opening the case for the prosecution at Swansea Cown Court on Monday, Patrick Harrington QC said Mr Morris exploded into a "violent rage" after Mrs Power spurned his sexual advances.

He had attacked her in her bedroom on June 26, 1999 after she had returned from a babysitting trip.

When Mrs Power ran terrified to her mother's bedroom, Mr Harrington said Mr Morris attacked her too because she would have recognised him.

Little Katie's body was found on the landing nearby, and that of her younger sister Emily was found cowering in her bedroom.

They had all been bludgeoned to death with an iron pole.

Afterwards, according to the prosecution, Mr Morris cleaned the blood off himself in the shower.

He covered his right hand with a sock to avoid leaving fingerprints as he set five separate fires around the family's houses.

Doris Dawson was attacked in her bedroom

Several pieces of paper were stuffed around Doris Dawson's body before they were set alight.

However, Mr Harrington said, neighbours alerted the emergency services and the fire was quickly brough under control.

The jury also heard Mr Morris only became the main focus of the huge police inquiry into the murders in March last year.

A chain belonging to the scrap dealer which was found in the house was so bloodstained that experts were at first unable to take any DNA from it.

However, scientists eventually found brick dust and a tiny speck of paint which matched paint on Mrs Power's kitchen units.

Mr Morris had originally denied that the chain was his but later acknowledged that it probably did belong to him.

Several fires were started in the Kelvin Road house

Details of Mrs Power's complicated love life - including a lesbian relationship with a former police officer who was originally questioned by police - have also emerged

Mr Harrington said Mandy Power was "very friendly" with Mr Morris' girlfriend at the time Mandy Jewell.

He said Mr Morris died not approve of their friendship, but he still wanted a sexual relationship with Mrs Power.

On the eve of the killings Mr Morris spent the day drinking in a local pub, he said.

After arguing with his girlfriend, Mr Harrington said Mr Morris went to Mrs Power's home in Kelvin Road.

The divorcee was confronted by him when she returned after a night out babysitting.

Earlier the jury was warned by Mr Harrington that they would have to "subdue their emotions" and prepare to be "shocked and appalled" by the killings.

Members of Mrs Power's family, sitting in the public gallery, wept as the attack was detailed.

"All four were the victim of the most grotesque violence and it is the prosecution case that the defendant killed them," said Mr Harrington.

"In each case, their heads were smahed with such force that massive bone damage was done to each of them.

"This was not simply murder, this was a massacre," he said.

The trial which is taking place in an annexe at Swansea's Guildhall is expected to last three-and-a-half months.