Stab victim 'struggled' with mum

Nov 26 2009 by Patrice John, Birmingham Mail

A BIRMINGHAM mother-of-two accused of murdering her boyfriend by stabbing him in the chest, told a city court what allegedly happened moments before his death.

Nursery nurse Emma Bates denies murdering Wayne Hill, aged 30, who died after receiving a knife wound to the chest.

Bates, aged 30, also denies an alternative charge of manslaughter.

Jeremy Haynes QC, defending, told Birmingham Crown Court that Bates and Mr Hill had been out separately with friends, on April 1.

There came a point, in the early hours, when Bates returned home to discover her boyfriend had already been home, had packed his clothes and taken her car, the court heard.

Bates, who had drunk six vodkas and an alcopop, then rang Hill asking him to bring her car back. Mr Haynes asked Bates what happened in the moments leading up to Mr Hill’s injury, at the shared home in Tideswell Road, Great Barr.

She said: “I have never seen him like that before, I just wanted to get out of the house. He grabbed me under my chin by his right hand. He picked me up off the floor, turned me around and I was up against the spindles of the staircase.

“He also grabbed my arm and I noticed something shiny in his other hand.

“I saw a knife. He pulled me closer and I just thought ‘oh my God he is actually going to use it’. I just wanted to get out of the house.”

After a struggle, Mr Hill fell to the floor, but Bates did not see the knife make contact with him, the court was told.

The court heard the couple had been partners for about 12 to 15 months and their relationship had been “volatile”.

(Proceeding)