Wisbech murder suspect David Newton entered home of Una Crown with no intention of killing her, prosecution say

Crown prosecutors believe that David Newton did not enter Una Crown’s home with the intention of killing her, a court has heard.

Instead, they believe that he had done something to wrong his 86-year-old neighbour and that he had stabbed her so she couldn’t tell anybody what he did.

Prosecution suggests that while he was there, Newton took advantage of the cash that Mrs Crown had in her purse and took it.

Newton denies murdering Mrs Crown on the evening of January 12, 2013, and his trial taking place at Cambridge Crown Court is coming to an end.

Today, Judge Justice Garnham gave directions to the jury before they heard the closing statement from prosecutor John Price KC.

Newton’s defence, Henry Grunwald KC, is set to give his closing speech tomorrow before the jury is sent to deliberate its verdict.

Justice Garnham advised the 12 members of the jury not to speculate when reviewing evidence.

He said: “This will provoke strong emotions, an 86-year-old lady was murdered. You may have sympathy with her family. Do not judge the case based on sympathy, this is a court of law.”

In his closing speech, Mr Price told the jury that circumstantial evidence that they have heard from the prosecution shouldn’t be seen as “weak evidence”.

Mr Price said: “No one saw who murdered Una Crown, David Newton hasn’t admitted it was he who did it, he has always denied it.

“He never recalled the events of what he was doing on that critical night.”

Mr Price said that there would have been a lot of “remarkable coincidences” that could have happened if Newton is not guilty of murdering Mrs Crown.

He added: “Ponder how much of a remarkable coincidence that male DNA was deposited on this lady that just happened to end up matching David Newton’s found on her dominant hand.

“It was deposited during Una Crown’s last flailing defence as she was attacked by a large knife.

“This is the first of a whole series of remarkable coincidences if David Newton is not the killer of Una Crown.

“When did Una Crown have any chance to have close proximity with another male person before she died?”

Mr Price also pointed out to the jury that Newton had attempted to visit two women who lived alone on the night of Mrs Crown’s murder, one being his aunt reporting she was uncomfortable with his offer to massage her and the other being his sister who said that he was crying and drunk on the phone.

He also pointed out that Newton had previously entered the homes of two women before uninvited.

Mr Price added: “Una Crown’s killer didn’t go into her house to kill her, it makes no sense.

“She lived there in peace for decades. She could have harmed no one. She had no enemies.”

He suggested that the knife used to kill Una Crown would have been in her kitchen and that the killer used it and then disposed of it.

“There was an accumulation of wrongdoings against Mrs Crown,” Mr Price said.

“It began with a man gaining access uninvited into the home of a vulnerable old lady. Is it unreasonable that his arrival would have greatly alarmed her?

“Una Crown would’ve been frightened to have an intruder?”

He added: “Una Crown was wronged by her killer before a knife was used to stab her.

“It was he [Newton] who intruded and entered her house. Who interfered with her clothing, prevented her from seeking help and then used blunt force to kill her.

“It was David Newton who had done the many wrongs on her.”

Not up to date with what’s been said in court? Click the following links to find previous coverage of day one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten and eleven via these links.

The trial continues.