Sarah Henshaw: Murder-accused 'beat up' partner months before death

Sarah Henshaw was found dead six days after going missing

A man accused of murdering his ex-girlfriend and dumping her body near a lay-by was "physically abusive" towards her before her death, a court heard.

Darren Hall denies killing Sarah Henshaw and disposing of her body in woodland in Chesterfield, Derbyshire.

Ms Henshaw, 31, was last seen at her home in Ilkeston on 20 June, before her body was found six days later.

Mr Hall's murder trial at Derby Crown Court was told he had attacked her after a concert months before.

Giving evidence, Chloe Crofts, who was in a relationship with Ms Henshaw's brother at the time, said after an N-Dubz concert in Manchester on 4 December, Ms Henshaw banged on their door in the early hours in a "state".

She said: "[She was] upset, crying, angry, just did not know what to do with herself.

"She had bruises all over her. She said 'he has beaten me up'."

When prosecutor Michelle Heeley KC asked who Ms Henshaw meant by "'he", Ms Crofts said "Darren Hall".

Floral tributes were left outside Ms Henshaw's home

Ms Crofts said: "There was a bruise on her eye, bruises on her arms and later that morning she showed me her legs and there were bruises on her legs and one around her neck."

She said Ms Henshaw told her the bruise on her leg was caused by Mr Hall stamping on her.

Ms Crofts also said throughout Mr Hall and Ms Henshaw's relationship, he "always wanted to know where she was, what she was doing and who she was with".

In cross-examination, defence KC Andrew Vout asked whether Ms Henshaw had mentioned she had drunk "two bottles of wine" at the concert and had repeatedly fallen over.

Ms Crofts said she could not recall Ms Henshaw mentioning it, but she did not believe she was drunk.

Prosecutors say Mr Hall, 36, of Rodney Way, Ilkeston, killed Ms Henshaw at her home in Norman Street on 20 June and "callously dumped" her body in the lay-by 20 miles away beside the A617.

The carpet fitter used Ms Henshaw's phone to text friends and neighbours to pretend she was still alive, and also got rid of her belongings at a recycling centre and a skip, the court heard on Wednesday.

'Emotionally abusive'

After his arrest, he told police Ms Henshaw fell down the stairs during an argument, but Ms Heeley said there were no marks on the stairs and bruising found on Ms Henshaw's neck was "about the width of a dressing gown cord".

In his evidence, Ms Henshaw's brother, Callum Stevenson, said he saw Mr Hall "get quite physically abusive" towards his sister in 2016.

Wearing a tie with Ms Henshaw's initials embroidered on it, he said: "Sarah was going up the stairs and Darren grabbed her by the arm and neck and pushed her into the bedroom."

Mr Stevenson told jurors he overheard Ms Henshaw telling their mother about physical abuse on "multiple occasions" and accused Mr Hall of "being emotionally abusive at the same time".

"Sometimes she had bruises to her arms, face and so on," he said.

The trial continues.