Emma Baum murder: Row over child led to crowbar attack

A man who admits murdering his ex-girlfriend beat her to death with a crowbar after a row about their child, he has told a court.

Emma Louise Baum, 22, was found with a least 20 injuries to her head at her home in Penygroes, Gwynedd, in July.

David Davies, 25, from Clynnog near Caernarfon, has pleaded guilty to her murder.

But Mold Crown Court heard he denies using a knife in the attack or that he took a weapon to the house.

Giving evidence at a special Newton hearing to establish the facts behind the killing, Davies said he used a crowbar left on a rabbit hutch at Ms Baum's home to carry out the fatal attack.

He told the court he had a volatile relationship with his former partner, they argued regularly when they had been together, and had begun "growing apart".

Davies said he could not sleep on the night of the attack and drove to Penygroes at 02:00 in the morning.

He rang Ms Baum and was invited into the house.

But he told the hearing that they started bickering over access to his son who lived with Ms Baum.

He broke down as he told the court: "She said he wasn't mine."

"I was shocked and thought she just said it in the spur of the moment."

Davies said he called her "something along the lines of manipulative whore" and she "gave me a sock across the face".

"That was when I got the crowbar from the rabbit hutch," he added.

Asked what happened next, Davies replied: "I don't know, I don't really remember it."

He said he accepted he was responsible for the fatal injuries inflicted, but asked did he mean to kill her, he said "No".

Davies said he later disposed of the crowbar in the Afonwen river, after going for a walk on a beach near Pwllheli.

He denied previously assaulting Ms Baum or threatening her.

Questioned on how he felt about his actions, he said he was "ashamed with myself for what I have done".

Pressed again by the prosecution, he told the court: "I had no intention of hurting her."

Told he was lying, he replied: "That's your opinion.

"All I remember was walking out with the crowbar to the car... I didn't know I'd killed her. I knew I'd hurt her - but I didn't know she was dead.

"I was angry, I just wanted to get from there.

"I'll deserve what I get."

All evidence in the case has now been heard, and the judge will rule on his findings on Thursday.