Kane Boyce trial: Girlfriend 'killed over Facebook row'

A man with a history of violence towards women killed his girlfriend because he thought she was having an affair via Facebook, a court has heard.

Kane Boyce, 34, was heard to shout "log on, log on" as he attacked Paula Newman, 20, in a street in New Addington, south London, the Old Bailey was told.

The jury heard she had refused to tell him a password to one of her accounts.

Boyce, of Erith, Kent, admits manslaughter but denies murder.

Prosecutor Gillian Etherton QC said Boyce had become obsessed with getting access to one of Miss Newman's Facebook accounts.

"The defendant, in a violent rage, beat and very likely kicked or stamped on Paula's head, causing Paula severe and irreparable brain injury, bringing about her death," she told jurors.

'We'll see what happens'

The court heard that, days before her death, she had exchanged Facebook messages with an ex-boyfriend in which they discussed meeting up.

Ms Etherton said the defendant had told friends he believed Miss Newman was cheating on him with someone she knew on Facebook.

The evening before her death on 12 November 2013, the couple went to visit his friends. When they returned home he began screaming and swearing at her, the court heard.

Then in the early hours, residents in Elmside, New Addington, were woken by the screech of car tyres and a man shouting and a woman screaming outside.

Jurors were told that one of the neighbours heard a male voice shout three or four times "log on, log, on", the reply "no, no, no", and then the male voice say: "If you don't log on, we'll see what happens."

After 03:00 GMT, Boyce and Miss Newman returned to the friend's house where Boyce said the victim had had a fit and jumped out of his car. Her face appeared badly bruised and she was "floppy and dazed", the court heard.

The next morning, Boyce woke up one of the occupants of the house saying: "I don't think she's breathing."

Before dialling 999, he went back to Elmside and retrieved a white shoe and a pink item of clothing then stopped off at a shop for cigarettes, the court heard.

Miss Newman was then taken to hospital where she was pronounced dead.

The jury was told that Boyce had previous convictions for attacks on girlfriends.

The trial continues.