Landlord accused of killing woman after finding her in bedroom says at trial he bumped into her
A homeowner accused of killing a 71-year-old woman after finding her asleep in her own bedroom and throwing her out on the street, told a court he bumped into the pensioner “like a failed football challenge”.
Margaret Barnes died after being allegedly attacked by David Redfern, 46, after she mistook his five-story house for a seafront B’n’B she had booked in Barmouth, North Wales, she went straight to the bed and fell asleep.
Mrs. Barnes had booked into the Wavecrest B’n’B, which was several doors down Marine Parade from the Redfern property called Belmont House. The large property had previously been a hotel and Redfern and his partner, Nicola Learoyd-Lewis, had to renovate it.
The grandmother, Mrs Barnes, had bought a bottle of gin after a late-night stroll on July 11 last year before drunkenly returning to the wrong property, where she entered and went straight to bed.
Caernarfon Crown Court heard that Redfern had gone out for a drink earlier that night, before returning to his estate with his partner, where they had fallen asleep watching Antiques Roadshow.
The Caernarfon Crown Court heard that Redfern (pictured) had drunk six or seven pints and a gin and tonic earlier that night.
Margaret Barnes (pictured) died after allegedly being attacked by 46-year-old David Redfern after he mistook her five-story home for an oceanfront B’n’B he had booked.
Ms Barnes ended up mistakenly entering Belmont House, Redfern’s seaside estate in Barmouth
The 71-year-old had booked to stay at the Wavecrest B&B on Marine Parade.
But when they went to bed around 11 p.m., they found their bedroom door locked.
They found the spare key and opened the door to discover Mrs. Barnes sitting on her bed drinking gin, her suitcase open, her clothes strewn across the room with her false teeth on a side table.
Testifying, Redfern said: “There was a lady lying in our bed, drinking and smoking.” There was an open black travel case on the floor, clothes hanging and scattered around the room.
The court heard Mrs Learoyd-Lewis ask ‘Who the hell are you? What are you doing in our bedroom?
Bank worker Redfern told the court: “She felt as if she had been taken by surprise and she muttered something to the effect of, ‘This is my room and I’m meant to be here.’
“Margaret Barnes made a lunging gesture towards Nikki, so I stepped between them, grabbed Margaret Barnes by the shoulders and said, ‘Okay, that’s enough, you’re leaving our house.
He told the jury how he and Mrs. Barnes had fallen to the floor at the top of the stairs, before he dragged her by the legs.
Redfern, of Barmouth, denies both the murder and manslaughter of Mrs. Barnes.
Once inside, she took herself to a room and fell asleep (Pictured: a room at Belmont House)
The court heard that Margaret Barnes was dragged down the property’s stairs. Pictured: Inside the Belmont House
The large property had previously been a hotel and was due to be renovated by Redfern and his partner, Nicola Learoyd-Lewis.
“It all happened so incredibly fast,” he said. “She was fighting and kicking the whole time, holding on to the railing.”
Ms Barnes ended up on the street, and Redfern claimed that she grabbed her partner, believing she had her bag.
“I went over to get between them but slipped and tripped on the road and collided with Margaret Barnes,” he said. “I can’t remember the mechanics of the collision, but I came across it as a failed soccer challenge.”
The prosecution claims that Mr. Redfern kicked or stomped on Ms. Barnes during the night, but when questioned by her defense attorney, Mark Cotter KC, he denied this.
“My best recollection is that I collided with Mrs. Barnes and to the best of my recollection part of my leg or knee came into contact with her,” he said.
Home Office pathologist Dr Brian Rodgers said Ms Barnes suffered a “catastrophic deep tear” of her liver, and it fell apart when it was removed from her body.
Mrs Barnes had been booked into the Wavecrest B’n’B (pictured), which was several doors down on Marine Parade.
The prosecution claims that Mr. Redfern kicked or stomped on Ms. Barnes during the night, but when questioned by his defense attorney, he denied this.
He told the jury: ‘You couldn’t survive that degree of liver damage.
“The rupture and damage to the liver is a reflection of the degree of force and reminded me of the impact damage you would see to a liver after a traffic collision.”
Prosecutor Michael Jones said the incident was “totally gratuitous” and “totally unjustified” on Redfern’s part.
Redfern, of Barmouth, denies both the murder and manslaughter of Mrs. Barnes.
The trial continues.
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