Walsall woman Anne James 'stabbed 30 times by grandson'

Relatives had described Anne James as "amazing, generous" and "kind".

A cocaine-user stabbed his grandmother 30 times after building up a £35,000 gambling debt, a court was told.

Gregory Irvin is alleged to have murdered 74-year-old Anne James during a visit to her home in Doveridge Place, Walsall, in February.

Prosecutor Rachel Brand QC said blood matching that of Mrs James was found on Mr Irvin's jacket and the accelerator of his Mini after her death.

Mr Irvin, 26, of Bilboe Road, Bilston, denies murder.

Opening the trial at Birmingham Crown Court, Ms Brand said Mrs James's husband had been admitted to hospital with pneumonia about a week before she was killed.

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Mrs James had returned from a shopping trip when she was was stabbed in her chest and back and had her throat cut, jurors heard.

A council CCTV camera showed Mr Irvin park his blue Mini on Sandwell Street before walking to his grandmother's house, then leaving 15 minutes later, the court was told.

Mrs James was attacked at her home in Doveridge Place, Walsall, Birmingham Crown Court was told

Ms Brand said he had made 'no comment' to police questions after his arrest.

She said: "Since then he has said to people that he had no memory of the events of the 28th February in his grandmother's house."

Ms Brand said no murder weapon has been found.

She added: "He wasn't working at the time and he certainly had a need for money as he was regularly using cocaine."

He had arranged to pay the debt off in instalments under an IVA, but it was not known if he was still gambling at the time of the offence, she told the court.

Mr Irvin is also alleged to have removed a security camera and his grandmother's mobile phone from the house, and later told a police officer he had not seen her on the day she died.

Jurors were told they were likely to be asked to consider a partial defence of diminished responsibility based upon the defendant's mental state, which would reduce murder to the lesser offence of manslaughter.

A psychiatrist acting for the defence will argue Irvin was suffering from moderate depression and may have had an "intense, violent, autistic meltdown" which affected his judgment, the jury was told.

The trial continues.