Bishop's Waltham attempted murder case: Jury told defendant 'wanted to kill her friend'

Paula Ayres, 51, ‘overwhelmingly’ intended to end her 63-year-old friend Julie Page’s life during a frenzied attack after being ‘rumbled’ of stealing £3,900 from her, Portsmouth Crown Court heard during prosecution summing-up this morning.

Simon Jones, closing the Crown’s case, told jurors Ayres was ‘insulting your intelligence’ over motives for the ‘horrifying attack’ in the victim’s Oak Road home in Bishop’s Waltham on July 22 last year.

Ayres has admitted theft and grievous bodily harm with intent (GBH) but denied attempted murder following the merciless attack with a Stanley knife.

But Mr Jones told the court there could only be one conclusion about the defendant’s intentions. ‘If you are going for someone’s neck as the first point of contact after lunging from behind and you slit her throat, then the ferocity of that attack reveals her intention,’ he said.

Recalling Mrs Page’s evidence where she said Ayres ‘flew towards me with a knife in her hand from behind’, Mr Jones told jurors: ‘She went for the jugular.’

The prosecutor went on to pour scorn over Ayres’ guilty plea of GBH with intent, with him saying it was a smokescreen of her real motives.

He said: ‘The defence say (Ayres) did not intend to kill but just wanted to cause serious injury. But that is trying to pull the wool over your eyes.

‘It’s a deliberate attempt to say “I’ve accepted what I’ve done and you don’t need to find me guilty of attempted murder”.’

Mr Jones added: ‘But the evidence is overwhelming and the only sensible answer is yes she intended to kill.’

The prosecutor pointed out Ayres litany of ‘lies’ - including telling police she ‘hadn’t done anything’ - and how she deployed a ruse to get mutual friend Angela Edwards away from the house while she savaged the unsuspecting Mrs Page.

Pointing out that Ayres decided not to take the witness stand, Mr Jones said: ‘If she had given you her account she could’ve said why we’ve got it all wrong. This case called for an answer but she did not give you an answer.’

Defending, Paul Casey, argued it was Ayres ‘right’ not to give evidence but conceded her crimes were ‘indefensible’ and ‘inexplicable’.

But despite the ‘explosion of hot blooded frenzied violence’ the barrister said Ayres intention was never to kill.

‘Had she wanted to kill Mrs Page there was nothing to stop her,’ he said.

‘You wouldn’t use a rusty old Stanley knife when there are knives in the kitchen far more appropriate for that ghastly intention,’ he said.

Mr Casey also pointed to Ms Edwards being sent away by Ayres to get Coffee Mate as proof of his argument. ‘You would send someone away for hours not just over the road,’ he said.

He added: ‘Can you be sure she intended to kill Mrs Page?’

The jury has retired to consider its verdict.

Ayres, of Willow Road, Bishop’s Waltham denies attempted murder.

(Proceeding)