Crawley Down man who killed his wife says his memory of it was ‘like a videotape on fast forward’

Daniel Appleton, 38, of Hazel Way, Crawley Down, denies murdering his wife Amy and pensioner Sandra Seagrave.

He told a jury at Lewes Crown Court in Hove he was stressed at work and anxious about starting a family when he snatched Mrs Seagrave’s walking stick and beat her to death with it.

He used the same metal stick to club his wife outside their village home.

Traces of illegal drugs and prescription epilepsy medication were found in samples taken from Appleton after the killings at Christmas last year.

Nicholas Corsellis QC for the Crown told the jury if Appleton had taken drugs before the horrific killings he would be guilty of murder.

Lewis Power QC for Appleton said the defence case is his psychotic episode was caused by stress.

Appleton has admitted manslaughter and the jury heard his harrowing account of the day he killed both women.

Mr Corsellis said Appleton was on the phone to his mother when the situation changed.

“Your mother heard your mood change from rambling to an eruption of temper,” he said.

“We know from your neighbour that you said ‘I could murder you’.

“Can you remember what prompted your change in mood?”

Appleton said: “I don’t remember anything other than being on the phone to my mum.”

The couple went downstairs and Amy slipped and could have hit the door, Appleton said.

Amy left the house dressed only in her underwear.

“She must’ve left the house because she was scared of you in that state,” Mr Corsellis said.

“I’d imagine so.

“I said to her ‘Go outside and tell everyone you love me and want to have kids with me’.

“There was resistance at the door and the door was to-ing and fro-ing.

“And I remember her saying ‘Why won’t you let me in’?”

Mr Corsellis asked Appleton if he remembered attacking his wife for the first time.

“I don’t.

“I remember going outside and seeing her on the drive.

“I can’t remember exactly.

“I remember seeing her lying on the driveway and seeing the car on the drive and being outside in the light.”

Mr Corsellis asked him if he remembered trying to kill himself in the most determined manner.

“Those are the things I can pick out.

“It was blurred.

“It was like a videotape that was being played, then fast forwarded and stopped, then played and fast forwarded and stopped.”

Appleton was assessed by a psychiatrist on January 10, before being interviewed by police.

Mr Corsellis, reading from the psychiatrist’s notes, told the jury Appleton had remembered making tea for his wife before shouting at her.

“The psychiatrist wrote; ‘He said it was as if someone else were controlling him.

“He said he saw another neighbour across the road and said she always looked at him.

“He said ‘Go downstairs and tell everyone you love me’.

“He said she hit the door downstairs and fell over.

“He remembered putting something in the bins and coming back in before bringing Amy back in the house because she wasn’t making any sense to him.

“An old lady coming across the road and raising her stick at him and he might have hit her with it.

“Coming back in the house and didn’t remember hitting Amy with the stick, only her falling over and knowing she was hurt.

“Going into the loft and jumping out.

“Hurting himself with the knife because he knew Amy was hurt but he didn’t know how badly.

“He didn’t hurt himself because of the old lady.

“Does that help trigger anything,” Mr Corsellis asked.

Appleton said: “Obviously now, it’s been some time and I’ve read a lot and I can piece together from what I’ve read, but I don’t remember saying this.

“I briefly remember being in hospital and somebody talking to me.

“There’s things in there that don’t make sense to me.

“I remember waking up and looking out the window and the feeling someone was watching me.

“I can’t explain what or who.

“It was light outside.”

Mr Corsellis asked if he remembered saying he could murder his wife.

“No, I don’t,” Appleton said.

“Do you remember Sandra Seagrave coming towards you with her stick raised?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Do you remember saying I’ve killed my wife and I’m going to prison?”

“No, I do not.”

Mr Corsellis asked Appleton if trying to kill himself, even though he was undergoing a psychotic episode, showed some rational judgement.

“I just remember Amy being hurt,” he said.

Appleton fought back tears as he recalled the day he killed his wife and Mrs Seagrave.

“I didn’t mean to hurt anyone,” he said.

“There is no intention in any of this at all.

“I did not take any drugs and I do not know how or why they were in my body.”

He said he had been exposed to other prisoners smoking illegal drugs while he was on the healthcare wing at HMP Lewes,

“I remember it being a problem.

“The staff were saying it was a problem.

“I just remember smelling it.”

Mr Power for the defence asked him: “Did you knowingly take drugs prior to the incident?”

“I did not take any drugs.

“Nothing at all,” Appleton said.

Forensic psychiatrist Dr Richard Noon described Appleton as a normal, hard working man.

He said there was no evidence of personality disorder or enduring mental illness.

“The likelihood is this was a stress induced psychotic episode,” Dr Noon said.

“The evidence for drugs isn’t consistent.

“The evidence of him being under stress in the days before are consistent.”

Daniel Appleton denies murdering his wife Amy and Sandra Seagrave outside his home in Crawley Down on December 22 last year.

The trial at Lewes Crown Court in Hove continues.

’I’m devastated by what happend’ says man who killed his wife