Rita Lambourne, 58, was found by her sister ‘fatally wounded’ at an address in Bayencourt South, Bexhill, East Sussex on February 12.
A man accused of murdering his cousin with an axe liked to “have the last word”, a court heard.
Rita Lambourne, 58, was found by her sister “fatally wounded” at an address in Bayencourt South, Bexhill, East Sussex, on February 12.
Donald Excell, 49, of Seabourne Road, Bexhill, is on trial for her murder at Hove Crown Court, East Sussex.
He is alleged to have come into the house via an unlocked back door before striking Ms Lambourne with an axe at least four times.
On Thursday, jurors heard from Ms Lambourne’s sister, Claire Haldane, about Excell falling out with Ms Lambourne.
“He liked to be more intelligent and have the last word but my sister would always challenge him and that he didn’t like,” said Ms Haldane.
Ms Lambourne and Excell fell out over a year before the attack after Excell decided members of the family were facilitating a paedophile ring, the court heard.
Ms Haldane also told jurors about an argument where Excell had been “raging” and hitting her sister’s car.
“She said she was scared, she was terrified, she wasn’t sure what he was going to do, but she wouldn’t show him she was scared,” said Ms Haldane.
Ms Lambourne had been on the phone with her partner moments before the attack started and he heard shouts as the phone was dropped, the court heard.
Her partner then called Ms Lambourne’s daughter, Lucy, who in turn called her aunt, Ms Haldane, to go and check on Ms Lambourne.
Ms Haldane discovered her sister in the front room of her house and started CPR.
Lucy Lambourne remembered her aunt saying: “Oh my god, you need to get down here, mum’s been smashed up, love, call an ambulance.”
The trial continues.
