Mother was 'strangled during sex' in Birmingham

The trial is taking place at Birmingham Crown Court

A mother was strangled by a man she met five hours earlier who scattered pornography by her body, a jury heard.

Richard Bailey denies murder, claiming Charlotte Teeling died accidently during "rough sex" after asking to be choked at his Birmingham flat.

But prosecutor Jonas Hankin QC said her injuries suggested he intended "at least to cause really serious harm".

Mr Hankin told Birmingham Crown Court the crown rejected Mr Bailey's "account of the killing as false".

"The extent of Charlotte's injuries do not correlate with the defendant's description of what he did or the degree of force that he actually used," he said.

Miss Teeling met Mr Bailey, 41, in a shop in Birmingham city centre after leaving a nightclub at about 05:00 GMT on 23 February, the court heard.

The 33-year-old who had lived on the Isle of Wight and also at a woman's refuge in Worcester, took a taxi with him to his flat at supported accommodation in Cooksey Lane, Kingstanding.

'Disturbing feature'

Mr Hankin said injuries to her neck and mouth and a bone fracture near the base of her tongue suggested significant force was used.

"The prosecution case is that while having penetrative intercourse with Charlotte, whether with her consent or without, the defendant caused her death by strangling her and smothering her," he said.

"When he did that he did that deliberately, intending at least to cause really serious harm."

Mr Hankin said: "It is a disturbing feature of the case that some of the pornographic material placed on the floor was purchased after Charlotte's death."

The circumstances around this would be explored during the trial, he said.

The prosecution claims after killing Miss Teeling, Mr Bailey used her bank card and travelled to Coventry where he "wormed his way" back into the life of an ex-partner by mentioning love and marriage.

"In reality he needed somewhere to go and he needed somewhere quickly," Mr Hankin added.

The trial continues.