Kayleigh Dunning death: Mark Brandford denies 'jealous rage' crowbar murder

Kayleigh Dunning died on the night she accepted the defendant's proposal of marriage, the court heard

A man has denied murdering his partner with a crowbar in a jealous rage on the night he said he proposed to her.

Kayleigh Dunning, 32, was found dead at Mark Brandford's flat in Kingston Crescent, Portsmouth, in December 2019.

Mr Brandford, 49, told Portsmouth Crown Court he was "jealous" that she was seeing another man but denied responsibility for her death.

The road sweeper also denies previously disclosing private sexual images with intent to cause her distress.

Ms Dunning was found dead at a flat in Kingston Crescent

Ms Dunning sent affectionate text messages to a man she had been seeing, Dean Drooney, shortly before her death on the night of 16 December, the court previously heard.

On the same night, Mr Brandford posted photos on social media of personalised balloons he had bought for proposing marriage.

Asked by prosecutor Simon Jones whether Ms Dunning had accepted his proposal, the defendant replied: "Yes she did."

Mr Jones asked: "Was this what angered you, that she was seeing Mr Drooney, and on your special night she was texting him saying that she loved him?"

Mr Brandford denied the suggestion. He told the court: "I was jealous because she had told me she had left him."

Mr Jones asked: "Did she love you? You didn't want to share her?", to which Mr Brandford replied: "I thought she did."

Ms Dunning suffered fatal "sharp blunt force injuries to the head and neck" as she lay in bed, jurors have previously heard.

Mr Brandford shared "intimate photos" of her on a Facebook account and also distributed "private sexual films" of her without her consent, prosecutors have said.

The jury also heard he sent her "deeply unpleasant" messages and made her think they were from an enemy.

The trial continues.