Jury retires in web killing trial

The jury in the trial of a German man accused of murdering a British student has retired to consider its verdict.

David Heiss, 21, from Limburg, near Frankfurt, is alleged to have stabbed Matthew Pyke after becoming obsessed with his girlfriend through a website.

Mr Heiss has denied murder, insisting he had acted in self defence after a row at Mr Pyke's Nottingham flat.

The jury at Nottingham Crown Court retired on Friday afternoon but was sent home for the weekend.

During the trial, the jury heard that as 20-year-old Mr Pyke lay bleeding to death in his Nottingham flat he tried to write the name of his killer in his own blood on the side of his computer.

The court heard Heiss carried out the killing after he became infatuated with Mr Pyke's girlfriend, 21-year-old Joanna Witton.

He met her through the website she ran with Mr Pyke, who was originally from Stowmarket in Suffolk.

But after he was rejected by Miss Witton, Heiss flew from his home in Germany to Nottingham. After forcing his way in, Heiss then stabbed Mr Pyke 86 times in a "cold and calculated" attack, the jury was told.

RELATED INTERNET LINKS
HM Courts Service
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites