Houseboat man 'murdered partner'

Mr Castle, 61, was found on the boat with a stab wound to his chest

A man stabbed his partner to death on their houseboat in Kent after a series of heated arguments, a court has heard.

Kenneth Harman, 55, told emergency services he had been out and came back to the Impulse on the River Medway in Tonbridge to find Michael Castle dead.

But a jury at Maidstone Crown Court was told by prosecutor Jonathan Higgs the story was a set of lies to try to get away with what he had done.

Mr Harman denies murdering Mr Castle on 15 February.

The court was told paramedics who responded to his 999 call found 61-year-old Mr Castle lifeless with a stab wound to his chest.

The couple's friend, Paul Kinsey, said he visited the Impulse with his son earlier that day to repair a motor.

The pair were on board drinking with another friend and a "petty argument" flared up.

'Argued a lot'

Later, in the 999 call, Mr Harman said he had been out walking his dog and returned to find blood everywhere and broken glass.

He said he had checked his partner's neck for a pulse but he was dead.

He was taken to Tonbridge Police Station as a witness, but reportedly told officers he did "not know whether to feel happy or sad he is dead".

Mr Harman told police the pair had been in a relationship and argued a lot, sometimes physically, but described the rows as "bickering".

He claimed he had been hit by Mr Castle last Christmas, suffering a broken nose, and had been hit behind the ear only the day before.

Mr Higgs said that as the investigation progressed, police altered Harman's status from witness to suspect.

No weapon was recovered by police despite a trawl by divers through the surrounding river but a knife block was found on the boat with a number of knives missing.

The case continues.