Gosport murder trial: Mystery killer tied up mum-of-three, moved her body and set fire to her house within three minutes, says man accused of murder

Brendan Rowan-Davies is being quizzed about his account that he interrupted a man armed with a knife at Kelly-Anne Case’s home when he returned to get his tobacco left at her Grange Crescent home hours earlier on July 30.

The 29-year-old, of Trinity Close, Gosport, said Ms Case was naked on her back and her wrists unbound when he was pushed over her with his hands landing either side of her body by a mystery man armed with a knife.

Ms Case was found on her side with her wrists bound on the edge of her bed by firefighters who were called at 8.33am to reports of smoke from her home.

But Rowan-Davies has now said he didn’t know if it was ‘likely’ the killer he alleges he disturbed did all of that in a three-minute window.

Prosecutor William Mousley QC asked if he agreed the unnamed killer must have moved Ms Case, fitted cable ties to her wrists, removed bedding, carried it downstairs, set fires in the living room and kitchen - all after the defendant escaped the knifeman.

The defendant repeatedly said ‘must have’ and ‘don’t know’.

Mr Mousley said: ‘Do you agree the man must have done all of that before he left?’

Rowan-Davies said: ‘Must have, I don’t know.’

Questioning the defendant, the prosecutor said a builder called the fire service at 8.33am - around five minutes after going to the house. A mother walking nearby saw smoke at 8.23am, jurors heard. Rowan-Davies was seen on CCTV at 8.26am.

Mr Mousley aked: ‘That would perhaps leave three minutes for the man in the house to do all that? Does that sound likely to you?’

Rowan-Davies said: ‘Don’t know.’

Mr Mousley asked: ‘You did all of that didn’t you?’

Rowan-Davies said: ‘No.’

Asking the defendant if he put cable ties on Ms Case before she was dead, stripped the bed, took the sheets downstairs and set the fire, Mr Mousley said: ‘Does that explain why you were in that house for nearly 40 minutes?’

Rowan-Davies said: ‘Not really.’

Asking about the threat Rowan-Davies said he received, Mr Mousley said: ‘Why were you petrified?’

He replied: ‘I had a knife to my throat.’

Rowan-Davies was asked why was he ‘petrified’ when he escaped and replied: ‘Just in case he found me.’

‘How could he find you?’ the prosecutor asked. He replied: ‘Don’t know.’

Mr Mousley said: ‘How could he know anything about you?’ Rowan-Davies said: ‘Don’t know.’

Asked if he thought about calling anyone having seen Ms Case’s body, he said: ‘I thought about telling my mum.’

Rowan-Davies said he had gone to Ms Case’s home to retrieve his tobacco, as he could not take any more of his mother’s cigarettes, when he disturbed the unnamed killer. He said he picked it up when escaping.

But asked what he talked about at his mother’s home after leaving Ms Case’s home, he said: ‘Asked her for a cigarette and then got in the shower.’

Mr Mousley said: ‘Didn’t you have your baccy by then?’

Rowan-Davies said: ‘Yeah, but no rizla.’

Ms Case was found with her throat repeatedly slit, and had injuries suggesting she had been tortured, Mr Mousley previously said.

Rowan-Davies, who has a previous conviction for burglary when he broke into a woman's home in Gosport, denies murder and arson.

Jurors have been shown CCTV of Rowan-Davies when he burned items in an alleyway. Yesterday he said there was blood on his T-shirt and added: 'I knew there was a camera there.'

The judge asked: 'Why did you to burn those items?'

The defendant replied: 'So people didn't think I did that.'

Mr Mousley said: 'Isn't it strange that the killer who burned evidence at Kelly's and you burned evidence just half an hour or so later in a different place? Is that just coincidence?'

Rowan-Davies said: 'I didn't have a lighter.'

Mr Mousley said: 'How did you burn the items in the alleyway?'

Rowan-Davies said: 'I got it off my mum.'

(Proceeding)