Gosport murder trial: Friend of alleged murderer Brendan Rowan-Davies says he seemed 'sketchy' in the street

A FRIEND of a man accused of torturing a woman he fancied before slitting her throat and burning her house told a court the alleged killer was ‘sketchy’ when seen walking near the victim’s house.
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Richard Waite, who knew Brendan Rowan-Davies, 29, from playing pool, was working in Grange Close near where Kelly-Anne Case, 27, lived in Grange Crescent.

But Mr Waite, giving evidence at Winchester Crown Court, said the accused murderer Rowan-Davies was ‘not his normal bubbly self’ when they walked past each other. He saw him on the morning of July 30 last year – soon after prosecutors say Rowan-Davies murdered Ms Case.

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‘I tried to speak to Brendan when he walked past. He seemed sketchy and not his normal bubbly self,’ Mr Waite said.

Kelly-Anne Case Picture: Family / Hampshire ConstabularyKelly-Anne Case Picture: Family / Hampshire Constabulary
Kelly-Anne Case Picture: Family / Hampshire Constabulary

‘He would normally be bouncing around but he was completely different to how he normally was.

‘He was short, sharp and blunt and only said “yeah alright”.’

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Asked by prosecutor William Mousley QC if he had anything with him, Mr Waite replied: ‘I believe he was using his phone and had a bag.’

Police in Grange Crescent Picture: Chris Moorhouse     (310719-89)Police in Grange Crescent Picture: Chris Moorhouse     (310719-89)
Police in Grange Crescent Picture: Chris Moorhouse (310719-89)
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Ms Case was found naked, with her hands bound and throat slit on the edge of her bed by firefighters who were called to tackle a fire at her house at around 8.15am to 8.30am on July 30.

The court also heard from neighbours of Ms Case who described her as ‘difficult’ due to excessive partying and noise coming from the property.

Ashley Taylor, who lived next door to Ms Case, said in a statement read out to the court: ‘She was a very difficult neighbour to live next to.

‘She would have parties two or three times a week and there were a lot of complaints.

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‘We reported her to environmental health over the noise which a lot of others had done as well.’

The neighbour also reported hearing chatting and then music at 4.40am on the morning of the incident before hearing a male voice. ‘I went to my shed when I heard a male voice call out “Kelly”. It sounded like a man had been drinking all night,’ the resident said.

‘There was no reply. I cycled off from Grange Close. Her rear gate was shut.’

The resident added that no ‘aggressive’ exchanges were heard.

Rowan-Davies, 29, of Trinity Close, Gosport, denies murder and arson.

(Proceeding)