VASILE CULEA TRIAL: accused asked to reconstruct ‘savage attack’ on couple

Michael Auty KC, prosecuting at Derby Crown Court, showed Vasile Culea pictures of the aftermath of the attack on Freda and Ken Walker, in their Station Road home, on January 14.

A concerned neighbour found Mrs Walker dead of ‘multiple blunt force injuries’ in the kitchen the next morning.

She was ‘hog-tied’ by her wrists and right ankle, with a pillow case and a black bin-liner over her head.

Mr Walker, who had also been gagged and bound, survived with similar injuries, but died seven months later from natural causes.

Mr Auty asked Culea yesterday: “What did you do to Ken to make him shed that amount of blood?”.

Culea replied: “I didn’t do this.”

“What caused the patches of blood along the lounge floor? Is that where he was crawling?”

“I answer yes because I can't really remember," said Culea.

"What did you do to him to cause that?”

“I don’t remember, because we didn't fight," said Culea.

“Then please explain the blood that has been shed in that room.”

Culea did not answer.

Mr Auty said: “Freda was facedown on the floor in the kitchen. She was no threat to you at all. She was terrified because you were in her home, wasn't she?”

“Yes.”

The court heard Culea’s fingerprints were found on a roll of bin-liners, but he denied putting them over Freda’s head.

Mr Auty said: “You put all those bindings around her head because you wanted her dead, because she could identify you.”

Culea, aged 34, of Grove Road, Church Warsop, denies murdering Mrs Walker and the attempted murder of Mr Walker, but has admitted her manslaughter and inflicting grievous bodily harm on him.

He admitted tying the elderly couple up with plastic ties so he could search the house, but claimed they were both alive when he fled after hearing a car pull up outside.

Culea admitted punching the couple and said he was wrong to do so, but denied kicking or stamping on Freda, and claimed he accidentally stood on her after she slipped and fell.

The trial continues.