Ex-soldier had PTSD when he killed fiancée - court

Stephen Lawton is on trial at Bradford Crown Court

An Army veteran accused of murdering his fiancée has told a court he was suffering with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at the time of her death.

Stephen Lawton stabbed 54-year-old Michelle Egge-Bailey three times in the neck and once in the arm on the evening of 10 March at their home in Bingley, Bradford Crown Court has heard.

Mr Lawton, 45, denies murder but has pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

Giving evidence on Thursday, Mr Lawton said he had been diagnosed with PTSD after seeing colleagues killed while on tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"I was having flashbacks and nightmares," Mr Lawton said. "They persist to the present day."

Mr Lawton said he had been on two six-month tours of Iraq and two six-month tours of Afghanistan.

He told the court: "The first tour of Afghanistan was the worst time in my life.

"Every time we left the patrol base we were shot at.

"I saw friends and colleagues shot."

Mr Lawton said his job involved giving first aid to casualties and dealing with those who had died in action.

He said he had received numerous types of therapy, but his challenges continued when his mother died of leukaemia and his father died of throat cancer, both in 2022.

Mr Lawton's brother, who he said he cared for due to him having an amputated leg and schizophrenia, had also died, the court heard.

He said that three friends from the Army had taken their own lives.

'Trying to grieve'

Mr Lawton said that Ms Egge-Bailey was emotionally and physically abusive towards him, calling him a "baby" and saying he should be a "real man" when he would wake up with night tremors and wetting the bed.

Ms Egge-Bailey would also make "nasty" comments about his family after their deaths, the court heard.

"She said my mother was too fat and unhealthy to fight leukaemia and that's why she died," Mr Lawton said.

"She said the way he used to drink and smoke caused the throat cancer and that was why he died. It was his own fault."

"She said the same about my brother, it was his lifestyle. It might have been true but I didn't need to hear that.

"I was upset when she made those comments. She was just being nasty.

"She saw I was trying to grieve and she wouldn't let me."

Mr Lawton said Ms Egge-Bailey had "tried to take her own life more than once" and she would threaten to take her own life "on a monthly basis".

"I was supportive and nine times out of 10 I would rush home to make sure she was OK," he said.

Mr Lawton said he was never violent towards her before the incident.

The trial continues.

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