Man covered in blood after fatal attack, court hears

A man accused of murdering a woman at her home went to a friend's flat shortly afterwards "covered in blood", a court has heard.

Dean Mears, 34, from Kinmel Bay, Conwy county, has admitted manslaughter after the death of Catherine Flynn, 69, on 24 October 2023, but denies murder on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

Caernarfon Crown Court heard statements from Catherine Shaw and Ryan Strong, who lived around the corner from Ms Flynn's home in Cefndy Road, Rhyl, and described Mr Mears' behaviour as "erractic" on the evening of the attack.

Mr Strong said Mr Mears admitted "trying" ketamine earlier in the evening and asked him to get rid of his blood-stained clothes, but he refused.

The court heard Ms Shaw was in her Denbighshire flat on the afternoon of the day Ms Flynn was killed when Mr Mears turned up looking "pale".

She said Mr Mears told her he had been arrested the previous night for breaking in to his old house on Warren Road and he did not have a phone because the police had taken it.

"Dean appeared stressed, fed up and upset," she said.

Ms Shaw said she knew Mr Mears previously had anxiety and depression and told her his mental health was bad because of an illness in his pancreas.

Mr Mears left between 17:30 and 18:00 BST, Ms Shaw said, and returned at about 20:00 hoping she could help him recover his iCloud account.

The court heard the two of them smoked cannabis together and he made a call to Vodaphone before making another call where he asked the person on the other end "am I going to prison".

After that, she said he became "erratic", quickly gathering up his things and leaving abruptly.

She said he came back between 10 to 15 minutes after she and her boyfriend had gone to bed, running up the stairs to the flat.

The court heard he was "covered in blood" and asked "can you help me, can you help me", before stripping off, going into the bedroom and helping himself to Mr Strong's clothes.

Ms Shaw said the defendant looked in a "panicked state…full of adrenaline", adding she "punched him in the face" to get him out of the property.

In his statement, Mr Strong said when Mr Mears visited the flat earlier in the evening he asked if he had taken something because his eyes were "wide open".

The defendant said he had not, but when asked by Mr Strong if he was sure, he said "I've had a go at ket".

Mr Mears returned with a "commotion", said Mr Strong, adding there was "banging" up the stairs about 15 minutes after he left the flat.

"He came running in and grabbed my coat... he was covered in blood," Mr Strong said.

"I heard him saying he had done something wrong or stupid."

The court heard Mr Mears asked Mr Strong to get rid of his clothes, to which he said he refused, instead putting the tracksuit into a bin bag.

"I asked what had happened," Mr Strong said, adding Mr Mears then ran off.

Mr Strong said he later went out to see what was going on in Cefndy Road and noticed a smashed window and police cars, as well as the police helicopter circling overhead.

The court also heard a statement from Mari Roberts, who lived across the road from Ms Flynn.

She said she was sitting in bed when she heard shattering glass and "loud bangs".

The court heard she called the police at 22.28 and looking out of the window she saw a man running near number 60.

The trial continues.