Camera only on alleged murder scene part-time

Glenna Siviter was killed at her home on Grimwood Avenue in Middlesbrough

A security camera which allegedly caught a woman's murderer entering her home may have missed many other visitors, a trial has heard.

Andrew Hall, 46, is accused of stabbing Glenna Siviter, 50, to death at her home in Middlesbrough on 11 December, with her body found four days later.

Prosecutors have said footage from a camera outside the back of her home caught the moment a man they say is Mr Hall went to her house.

But Newcastle Crown Court heard the permanently-moving, council-owned camera only saw Ms Siviter's home about 15% of the time. Mr Hall denies murder.

He also denies the attempted murder of two other men he allegedly stabbed in the days between Ms Siviter being killed and her body being discovered hidden beneath her sofa.

Prosecutors allege drug addict Mr Hall killed Ms Siviter, also a heroin and crack cocaine user, to steal her jewellery to sell.

The court has heard they had known each other since childhood and were "like brother and sister".

Prosecutor Peter Moulson KC has told jurors that, based in part on her suddenly stopping using her mobile phone, Ms Siviter was killed in the early hours of 11 December shortly after a man was seen on CCTV going to her rear door.

Jurors have been shown footage from this security camera near Ms Siviter's home

Cleveland Police staff investigator Paul Carroll said the footage came from a Middlesbrough Council-owned security camera at the rear of her Grimwood Avenue home.

He said the camera was constantly moving in one-minute-and-43-second-long cycles, during which Ms Siviter's home was only in shot for 16 seconds.

Under cross-examination from Mr Hall's barrister Nicholas Lumley KC, Mr Carroll accepted that was about 15% of the time.

Mr Lumley said therefore in the five days, or roughly 120 hours, between Ms Siviter's death and discovery, her home was not visible on the camera for more than 100 hours.

He asked Mr Carroll how many people went to Ms Siviter's home in those times not seen on camera.

"I can't say," Mr Carroll replied.

'Were you there?'

Jurors also heard from Samuel Harker, another drug addict and one of the men Mr Hall denies stabbing.

He said he was attacked at his girlfriend's home but his account was challenged as "absolute rubbish" by Mr Lumley.

The court heard Mr Harker was also initially arrested on suspicion of murdering Ms Siviter, but released without charge.

Mr Harker insisted he was attacked, telling Mr Lumley: "Were you there when he assaulted me?

"I wouldn’t say he assaulted me if he never assaulted me."

The trial continues.