Megan Newborough: Man Googled serial killers after murder, jury told

The court heard Megan Newborough was "a genuinely well-liked, gregarious but responsible young woman"

A killer Googled notorious criminals including Peter Sutcliffe in the hours after he strangled a young woman to death, a trial was told.

Ross McCullam killed Megan Newborough and dumped her body in a remote rural spot, Leicester Crown Court heard.

The 30-year-old denies murdering Ms Newborough, 23, but has pleaded guilty to her manslaughter on the night of Friday 6 August last year.

Mr McCullam and the victim were colleagues who were in a relationship.

They had arranged to meet at Mr McCullam's home in Windsor Close, in Coalville, Leicestershire, while his parents were out.

Prosecutors say he strangled her in the living room then cut her throat 14 times with a kitchen knife before driving her body, in her own car, to Charley Road, near Woodhouse Eaves, where he hid her in undergrowth.

'Contrived fakery'

The jury has been shown footage of him abandoning her Citroen C3 in a Loughborough car park before hailing a taxi home and going to bed.

John Cammegh KC, prosecuting, said police analysis of Mr McCullam's phone "provides a twenty-twenty insight not just as to what the defendant was browsing online, but, equally, into his very mindset".

The jury heard Mr McCullam searched for serial killers Levi Bellfield and Peter Sutcliffe, and Soham child murderer Ian Huntley.

The court was told Mr McCullam was also surfing through pornography.

The court heard Mr McCullam had thrown Ms Newborough's phone into roadside bushes in Coalville on his way to dump her body and Mr Cammegh said he continued to text her "to lay a false trail".

He told the court the defendant left a voicemail saying he loved her.

Mr Cammegh said: "That's about three hours after he has killed her in the room downstairs from where he is sending that voicemail.

"All contrived fakery for the ears of the police."

(L-R) Ross McCullam, prosecutor John Cammegh, defence barrister Kerim Fuad

Ms Newborough had told her parents she was going for a walk with the defendant, a colleague at Ibstock Brick in Ibstock, Leicestershire.

She told them she would not be late back to the family home in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, but they became increasingly worried when she did not return.

Her mother Elaine sent her a series of anxious texts in the early hours - one asking "Are you alive?"

Ms Newborough's father Anthony reported her missing at midday on Saturday 7 August.

The court heard her brother John used an app to trace her phone to Heritage Road, Coalville, where Mr McCullam had tossed it.

Police visited Mr McCullam's house but he was out drinking in Loughborough.

The defendant's father went to pick him up and bring him home where he was later arrested.

'Lost control'

The jury was shown police body-worn camera footage of Mr McCullam being arrested outside his bedroom before telling officers Ms Newborough was dead and revealing the location of her body and car.

Mr Cammegh said when officers found her at 01:24 BST on Sunday 8 August, they remarked it would have been "unlikely she would have been found until the change of seasons" had Mr McCullam not disclosed the location.

He said one of Mr McCullam's earlier Google searches was: "When is autumn?"

The court heard Mr McCullam admitted strangling Ms Newborough in his living room during police interviews.

Mr Cammegh said Mr McCullam had told officers he had "lost control" during a sex act.

Mr Cammegh said: "According to the defendant everything had suddenly 'gone crazy in [his] head'."

He added: "There was no evidence of sexual assault, but there was evidence of bruising to her jaw. It was likely she put up a fight."

'Pure panic'

After the prosecution opened the case, Kerim Fuad KC, defending, addressed the jury.

He said his client was suffering post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) when he strangled Ms Newborough as a result of sexual abuse he had suffered as a child.

He added: "His case is that he did not have any reason, wish, or intention for Ms Newborough to be killed or to be the victim of any unlawful violence but for the PTSD that consumed him at that moment."

Mr Fuad said his client's actions after the attack "were borne of pure panic".

The trial continues.

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