Gosport murder trial: Firefighter describes finding dead body as he walked into burning house

A FIREFIGHTER who saw Kelly-Anne Case’s bound body as his crew responded to a fire at her home has told a jury her throat was slit ‘almost from ear to ear’.
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Winchester Crown Court heard Robin Dellow’s six-strong crew responded to 999 calls about the kitchen and living room blazes in Grange Crescent, Gosport.

Jurors have already heard how prosecutors allege Brendan Rowan-Davies, 29, tortured and murdered the 27-year-old mum-of-three before setting a fire.

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The defendant, of Trinity Close, Gosport, denies murder and arson. He was arrested in Portsmouth on July 30 at his brother’s home.

Kelly-Anne Case Picture: Family/Hampshire ConstabularyKelly-Anne Case Picture: Family/Hampshire Constabulary
Kelly-Anne Case Picture: Family/Hampshire Constabulary
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Gosport murder trial: Court told Kelly-Anne Case was tortured and had her throat...

Giving evidence on Wednesday afternoon, watch manager Robin Dellow said his crew were alerted at 8.33am and would have taken a maximum of four to five minutes to reach Ms Case’s home.

Mr Dellow said that when he arrived at the house he used a jet to fight the fire, with a colleague also using a jet from the rear patio door.

It was then he found Ms Case’s body in her first-floor bedroom at the rear of the house. He said: ‘As I looked in the door to my right there was a double bed and on that double bed there was a body that was naked, the hands cable tied together in that sort of position on her side.

Police searching the area after the fire in Grange Crescent, Gosport   Picture: Chris Moorhouse     (310719-86)Police searching the area after the fire in Grange Crescent, Gosport   Picture: Chris Moorhouse     (310719-86)
Police searching the area after the fire in Grange Crescent, Gosport Picture: Chris Moorhouse (310719-86)
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‘It looked to me as though her throat had been almost from ear to ear.’

Asked by judge Mr Justice Neil Garnham if Ms Case was in a ‘foetal’ position, he said she was.

Spotting a child’s bedroom on the first floor Mr Dello ordered his team to ‘then turn room upside down to ensure that there was nobody else in that room and then withdraw’.

Dressed in full fire kit with breathing apparatus and gloves, Martin Ventham, also from Gosport fire station, said when he was in the room Ms Case was on her side 'in a recovery position'. After trying to rouse Ms Case he climbed on to the bed 'to try and wake the lady again,' he said. He reported what he had found to Mr Dellow, who then went to the room afterwards.

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Earlier prosecutor William Mousley QC said Ms Case had suffered broken ribs, along with wounds to her throat and back. Mr Mousley told jurors: 'It could be that the killer did that at some point - if that was a change of heart it came too late after a savage attack.'It may have been followed by causing more damage to her.'Jurors heard how builders spotted black smoke at Ms Case’s home and called the fire service.

(Proceeding)