Man denies attack on grandfather

A Leicester man was knifed and his partner stabbed to death just hours after his baby granddaughter was killed by two Rottweilers, a court has heard.

Scott Walker attacked John Brightwell and Debra Larn in their home in the early hours of 24 September last year, Nottingham Crown Court was told.

Only 10 hours earlier Cadey-Lee Deacon was mauled by guard dogs at a pub in city in an unrelated incident.

Mr Walker, 27, of Beaumont Leys, denies murder and wounding with intent.

'Increasingly aggressive'

At first the defendant, who lived above the victims' flat, was "sympathetic" to his grieving neighbour that Saturday evening, said Nirmal Shant QC, prosecuting.

But fuelled by a combination of alcohol and drugs, his behaviour became "increasingly abusive and aggressive" in the hours that followed.

He fetched a knife from the victims' kitchen and used it to stab Mr Brightwell, 50, and, fatally attack Miss Larn, 47, the court heard.

"The defendant was smoking heroin on a regular basis and was often abusive to Miss Larn, threatening to boot her in the face, for example," said Ms Shant.

No memory

He started to drink more heavily, which made him more aggressive and his moods "more changeable", she said.

She said Mr Walker had entered the room with a seven-inch knife which Mr Brightwell urged the defendant to put down but he lunged forward and stabbed him, the court heard.

He fled the scene but was arrested in another part of Leicester a short time later after witnesses heard him on a public telephone saying: "Someone has been messed up and they are probably dead now."

Mr Walker has claimed he remembers nothing of the attacks.

The trial continues.