Drunk neighbour 'found with body'

A disabled woman murdered in her West Sussex home was found by police with a drunken neighbour lying next to her body, a court has heard.

Rhona Heywood, was found at her bedroom in Godwin Court, Jockey Mead, Horsham, on 22 March. She had 42 injuries and been gagged with her nightdress.

Lewes Crown Court heard Martin Garratty, 41, also of Goodwin Court, turned violent after heavy drinking.

He denies murdering his 65-year-old friend in the ground-floor flat.

Opening the Crown's case, prosecutor Charles Miskin QC said: "This is a case about violence and savagery unleashed by drink, it's as simple as that, say the Crown."

Police responding to Ms Heywood's emergency Careline alarm arrived at her flat just before midnight to find her blood-soaked body, a jury heard.

Bracelet alarm

Earlier that evening, Ms Heywood - who was 4ft 10in (1.47m), used a walking frame and suffered from disabilities including severe arthritis - telephoned Mr Garratty in his flat upstairs then gave him £20 to buy her brandy.

During the course of the evening, Mr Garratty downed neat brandy and cans of cider at Ms Heywood's flat in front of her and a friend, Natalie Bassett, jurors were told.

Mr Miskin said at about 2300 GMT Ms Bassett left the flat and at 2319 GMT Chichester Community Careline received an alert from Ms Heywood's bracelet alarm.

When police arrived at 2358 GMT they found Ms Heywood's front door ajar and discovered her body in the bedroom.

Mr Miskin said she had a gag pulled tightly round her face, forcing her mouth open, and Mr Garratty was lying in a drunken state with his right arm round her.

When he was roused from a stupor, he became aggressive and hurled obscenities at the officers.

Ms Heywood's injuries were mainly on her head and neck and a post-mortem examination found she died from asphyxiation.

The case continues.