Barmouth: Murder accused denies kicking, stamping on woman

Witnesses found Margaret Barnes lying in the street, saying she had been beaten up

A man accused of murdering a 71-year-old woman has denied kicking or stamping on her after she mistook his home for her hotel.

David Redfern, 46, denies the murder or manslaughter of Margaret Barnes in July 2022.

He and his fiancée walked into their bedroom to find Ms Barnes in their bed drinking gin and tonic, he told a jury at Caernarfon Crown Court.

Ms Barnes had been drinking and seemed confused, the jury heard.

Clothes 'strewn around the room'

Mr Redfern told the court that he and his fiancée, Nikki Learoyd-Lewis had been out drinking on the evening of 10 July.

He had had six or seven pints and a gin and tonic, and they had returned home and fallen asleep watching Antiques Roadshow on catch-up, he said.

But when they headed to bed, they found their bedroom door locked.

After gaining access to the room with the spare key, they saw Ms Barnes in their bed, her clothes "strewn around the room" and her false teeth on the dressing table.

Mr Redfern said in his evidence: "There was a lady lying in our bed, drinking and smoking.

Margaret Barnes died at the scene on Marine Parade last July

"There was a black travel case open on the floor, clothes hanging up and strewn around the room.

"I think Nikki spoke first, asking her 'Who the hell are you? What are you doing in our bedroom?'

"It felt like she'd been taken aback and she mumbled something like, 'This is my room and I'm meant to be here'.

"She seemed to be drunk and slightly confused."

But the court heard that the atmosphere changed when Mr Redfern called the police, and his fiancée spotted that Ms Barnes had seemingly put the ashes of their dead dog, Jake, into her bag.

Mr Redfern said: "Margaret Barnes made a lunging gesture towards Nikki, so I stepped in between them, grabbed Margaret Barnes's shoulders and said, 'Right, that's enough, you're getting out of our house'.

He described to the jury how he and Ms Barnes both fell to the floor at the top of the stairs, before he dragged her down by her legs.

"It all happened so incredibly quickly.

"She was struggling and kicking out the whole time, holding on to the bannister."

'Failed football challenge'

Ms Barnes ended up in the street outside for some time, but strong words continued to be exchanged between her and Mr Redfern.

She couldn't find her handbag and made another grab for Mr Redfern's fiancée, the court heard.

"I went over to put myself in between them, but slipped and tripped on the way and collided with Margaret Barnes.

"I cannot remember the mechanics of the collision, but I made contact with her like a failed football challenge."

The prosecution claim that Mr Redfern kicked or stamped on Ms Barnes during the evening, but when questioned by his defence barrister, Mark Cotter KC, he denied this.

"My best recollection is that I've collided with Mrs Barnes and to my best recollection, part of my leg or knee has come into contact with her.

"Inside the house, she lunged for Nikki; outside the house, she lunged for Nikki.

"She continued to accuse us of stealing her handbag, when actually she was putting items of ours into her bag."

Mr Redfern's defence barrister asked him: "Did you murder Margaret Barnes?"

"No", he replied.

But cross-examined by Michael Jones KC for the prosecution, David Redfern denied he was playing down his actions that evening.

'I lost my temper'

"This is you lying to mislead police and minimise your actions to justify them, and make Mrs Barnes's behaviour sound worse," said the prosecution barrister.

"No", Mr Redfern replied.

The prosecution mentioned that Mr Redfern had been attending anger management sessions and asked him whether he was angry that evening.

"On the evening of 10th July, was your behaviour aggressive towards Margaret Barnes?" asked Mr Jones.

"Perhaps verbally", Mr Redfern replied. "I lost my temper towards her that evening, and said some appalling things," he said.

Ms Barnes suffered broken ribs and damage to her liver and died in the street outside Mr Redfern's house in the early hours of 11 July.

The trial continues.