'Vampire' youth attack witnessed

A "vampire-obsessed" teenager accused of murdering an elderly widow in north Wales once punched himself and begged a girl to smell his blood during a "crazy" outburst, a court has heard.

The 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, denies killing 90-year-old Mabel Leyshon at her home in Anglesey last November.

The girl looked scared. I tried to stop him and I slapped him on the face once

Prosecution witness

Prosecuting counsel Roger Thomas earlier told Mold Crown Court that the murderer ripped out Mrs Leyshon's heart and drank her blood.

Mr Thomas alleged the defendant was obsessed with vampires, and books and magazines on the subject were found in his bedroom.

On Wednesday, a Chinese student told the jury sitting in Chester that he had witnessed the defendant accusing a German girl of being a vampire and begging her to bite him.

"I saw the defendant, he appeared to be crazy and shouting," the student said.

"The girl looked scared. I tried to stop him and I slapped him on the face once.

"He kept on asking the girl to bite him."

The student said that he and his landlady had managed to drag the defendant downstairs.

Disputed alibi

But the defendant continued to shout, and punched himself on the nose to try and draw blood.

"He told the landlady and the girl to smell his blood," said the student.

Forensic officers searched the house

The defendant had claimed he was at the home of the Chinese student on the night of the killing.

But the student told the jury he had been working on the Friday and Saturday nights, and would not have been at home.

The jury was sitting at Chester Crown Court because Mold Crown Court was closed due to industrial action by council staff.

Earlier in the trial, the court heard how Mrs Leyshon's heart had been removed, wrapped in newspaper and placed in a saucepan.

The body of Mrs Leyshon was found on 25 November last year at her semi-detached bungalow.

She had died from multiple stab wounds and her chest had been "ripped open".

Fire pokers were left at her feet in the shape of a cross, the jury heard.

Mr Thomas said DNA taken from blood found at the scene matched that of the defendant's.

Earlier in the trial, the prosecution had alleged there was no question that the killer had been the teenager.

The case continues.