'Polite' Portsmouth man Mark Brandford accused of bludgeoning partner Kayleigh Dunning to death in jealous rage says he is 'not violent'

Mark Brandford, 49, denies murdering his girlfriend Kayleigh Dunning after she was found beaten to her death at his Kingston Crescent flat in North End after he had proposed to her overnight on December 16-17, 2019.

Brandford, on trial at Portsmouth Crown Court, also denies a charge of revenge porn after allegedly setting up a fake Facebook profile with intimate images of the 32-year-old.

Prosecutors told the court how Colas road sweeper Brandford knew of Ms Dunning’s affair with her former partner Dean Drooney.

But after being arrested on suspicion of murder, Brandford told police he ‘loved her’ and was a ‘happy go lucky’ person who would not commit such a crime.

Asked during an interview on December 17 whether he was angry about Ms Dunning seeing her former partner every week, the defendant said: ‘I don’t really get angry. I keep myself to myself.’

During an interview the following day, Brandford confirmed he loved Ms Dunning but added: ‘When I see and hear these things I’m not sure. I honestly thought she loved me.’

Asked by officers if he was being ‘taken for a mug’, Brandford replied: ‘Yeah but when you’re in love it changes everything.’

The defendant admitted he did not appreciate being accidentally called Mr Drooney’s name during intimate encounters but said: ‘I wasn’t happy about it but I had no choice, that was down to her.’

He added: ‘I didn’t assault her...why would I? There were other times when she called me Dean and I didn’t do anything.

‘I’m not violent. I did say to her: “Why are you calling me Dean again?”’

SEE ALSO: Man who duped businessmen out of £100,000 avoids jail

Brandford told police he was not a killer. ‘I wouldn’t kill her because I love her,’ he said.

He told officers how he did not fake his reaction when accused of ‘putting his fingers down his throat’ to make himself sick in front of paramedics when they arrived at his flat to try and save Ms Dunning after she was already dead.

‘I was shocked when I switched on the light and saw her,’ he told officers during interview.

The arresting officer, PC Sophie Cowley described Brandford’s behaviour after he had been arrested on suspicion of murder. ‘He was very calm, polite and co-operative and seemed a little vacant,’ she said in a statement read out to the court.

(Proceeding)

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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