Court Hears Woman's Emotional 999 Call

30 October 2012, 18:44 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

The jury in the trial of a Middlesbrough man, charged with double murder, have heard an emotional 999 call made by the woman who found murder victim's body.

The  woman sobbed "He's dead, he's dead'' to the 999 operator after discovering the body of 81 year old Colin Dunford.

36 year old James Allen's on trial accused of murdering Mr Dunford and 50 year old Julie Davison in April.

The prosecution say the motive for both was robbery.

The body of Mr Dunford was discovered by his close friends George Foreman, Angelina Dicicco and Andrew Mallett.

The court was played the 999 call made by Ms Dicicco after they found him.

While sobbing down the phone, she said:
"He's been robbed and murdered. He's been murdered. He's on the floor on the living room. He's bleeding, he's dead, he's dead.''

In his evidence, Mr Foreman said he had been a friend of Mr Dunford for 10 years.

He said that only once in that time had his friend not come to the social club they attended on a Sunday night.

It was Mr Dunford's absence from the club that alerted him to something being wrong.

Allen, who denies the charges, is accused of then murdering Julie Davison in her flat in Whitby, North Yorkshire.

Robert Smith QC, prosecuting, said that after murdering Ms Davison, he went to a Cash Converters shop to sell some of her possessions.

He said:
"In Cash Converters he sold a gold medallion for £35 and it was the same in every way to the one owned by Julie Davison.

It had been given to her by her sister in 2011. She wore it every day and at night she left it by her bed.'' 

The trial continues and is expected to last 3 to 4 weeks.