A killer attacked his fiance’s stepdad in a “white hot rage” as “brutal revenge” for him claiming he had been unfaithful in a hospital toilet, a court heard.
Ian Black allegedly murdered Christopher Henderson by repeatedly kicking, stamping and punching him after he told stepdaughter, Catherine Brown, her partner – Black – had engaged in a sex act while in the RVI for an operation. Jurors at Newcastle Crown Court were shown what prosecutors labelled “graphic and disturbing” CCTV of the attack in a corridor outside Mr Henderson’s flat at Regent Court, Gateshead.
Black has pleaded guilty to manslaughter but denies murdering Mr Henderson, 55, and assaulting Miss Brown and is standing trial. Francis FitzGibbon KC, prosecuting, said the attack happened on July 16 last year and Mr Henderson died from his injuries on July 29.
The prosecutor told jurors: “The key evidence in this case is a recording on the CCTV in the hallway. You will need to see it. It is not pleasant. You will see the defendant repeatedly kicking Mr Henderson to the head and body, punching him and stamping on his head. The camera is some distance away, but the footage is still graphic and disturbing.”
Mr FitzGibbon said although Black has admitted manslaughter: “We say it goes much further than that. We say he intended to kill Mr Henderson when he repeatedly stamped and kicked him. At the very least, he intended to cause Mr Henderson really serious physical harm. For that reason, we say this is a case of murder.”
He added: “It’s our case he attacked Mr Henderson in a white hot rage. Mr Henderson had just told the defendant’s girlfriend, Catherine Brown, that he, the defendant, had been unfaithful to her and she confronted him with it.
“He was not going to let Mr Henderson go unpunished for having made that disclosure to his girlfriend. It was vicious, brutal revenge, we say, on a defenceless man. He kept going back for more even after he had knocked him unconscious.”
Mr FitzGibbon said Black had been in a relationship with Miss Brown for around seven or eight months at the time. Mr Henderson was Miss Brown’s stepfather but she was very close to him and regarded him more as a father figure and she visited him most days, the court heard.
On July 16, Black and Miss Brown went to visit him at Regent Court. Black went to see his mother, who lived in the flat next door and while he was there, Mr Henderson made a disclosure to Miss Brown. Mr FitzGibbon said Mr Henderson told her that while the defendant was waiting to receive treatment at the RVI a few weeks earlier, he had a sexual encounter with another woman in a toilet of the hospital, adding: “You can imagine how that would have affected Miss Brown.”
Miss Brown went to the flat next door and asked Black to come back and hear what was being said. Mr Henderson repeated the allegation and Black denied it. Prosecutors say at this point he aimed a punch at Mr Henderson which missed and hit Miss Brown in the face.
There then came a point where Black approached Mr Henderson, who was under the influence of alcohol, in the corridor and assaulted him in scenes caught on CCTV, which was played to the court. Mr FitzGibbon said Black pushed him and he fell backwards and ended up on the floor leaning against the wall just beyond the door to his flat.
The footage then shows Black land a punch, then a kick, a stamp, a kick, a stamp, three kicks, a, stamp and a kick before he walks off, comes back, kicks towards his head, walks away, appears to search his pocket for something and goes into his flat.
He then walks down the corridor, comes back, leans over him, appears to look in his pockets, walks away, comes back and then lands three more stamps and a kick, appears to rummage in his clothes again then lands two more stamps and two more kicks, goes back in the flat and kicks him once more before leaving the building.
Mr FitzGibbon said he then told Miss Brown, who was outside: “Go and check on Chris, I don’t think he is breathing” or words to that effect. When she didn’t take him seriously, the prosecutor said he added: “No seriously, I’ve done him in”.
Miss Brown called 999 but despite efforts to save Mr Henderson at the scene and then at the RVI, he died on July 29. Mr FitzGibbon said a post mortem showed: “The numerous kicks and stamps the defendant inflicted on him caused unsurvivable brain injuries.”
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After the attack, Black went for a walk before returning to Regent Court at around 9.12pm. Officers present for other reasons arrested him. When interviewed, he gave no comment to all questions. His shoes were visibly blood-stained with Mr Henderson’s blood, jurors are told.
Miss Brown told the court she would visit Mr Henderson “just about daily” and agreed he was “as good as a father” to her. She said on July 16 she went to visit him with Black and Black went next door to visit his mother.
Miss Brown said while Black was away, Mr Henderson said: “Ian done something with someone when he was in hospital, somebody gave him oral sex when he was in hospital, in the RVI”. She said Black had been in the hospital around two months previously for an operation on his hand sustained while boxing.
Asked how she felt about the allegation, she said: “Hurt. I asked Ian about it. I went to his ma’s and got him to come next door. I said you’ve done something with somebody in hospital. He denied it. We were arguing about it.”
She said Black pushed Mr Henderson but she got in the way and he went to hit him but she stood in front and he hit her in the nose by accident. Miss Brown said she had in mind to leave Black at that point and she left to go an collect her belongings from his home.
Miss Brown, who said she was “foaming” about what had been alleged, went back into the block of flats and could see Mr Henderson lying on his back. She said she could see a lot of blood around him and “he was snoring loud” and his face was swollen and misshapen.
Under cross-examination by Toby Hedworth KC, defending, Miss Brown agreed that Black can appear cocky but isn’t. She also said he has never behaved badly to her and has always been good to her.
Miss Brown said she was told someone she described as Mr Henderson’s “bit on the side” had engaged in oral sex with Black at the RVI. Mr Hedworth said Miss Brown was at the hospital with Black and said if she’d stopped to think about it she would have realised the infidelity claim was “nonsense”. She said she probably would. Mr Hedworth said: “You were going along with this nonsense.” She replied: “Yes.”
Black, 43, of Havelock Terrace, Gateshead, denies murdering Mr Henderson and assault by beating on Miss Brown. The trial continues.
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