Ipswich guest house trial: Warren Atkinson accused of murder

Released:
6:00 AM Might 27, 2022

An Ipswich male allegedly battered a fellow visitor property resident to dying following putting him “various instances” to the head and neck, a jury listened to. 

Warren Atkinson, 41, is alleged to have carried out the assault on Steven Povey in a smaller communal kitchenette at the Beaumont Guest Home, on Norwich Road, Ipswich, wherever they ended up both of those living on July 9, 2021. 

Mr Povey, 37, was discovered lying on the floor in the kitchenette, located on the top ground of the guest residence, with a picket espresso desk standing on best of him, Ipswich Crown Court docket read. 

There were no witnesses to the incident itself, and there was no historical past of challenges in between the two males prior to the alleged murder, Simon Spence QC explained to the jury as he opened the prosecution situation. 

The court heard how the girl who operates Beaumont Visitor Property was undertaking some chores on the initial floor with earphones in when she read banging. 

She took her earphones out and considered the banging was coming from the floor earlier mentioned so went to look into, Mr Spence explained. 

As the landlady went up the narrow flight of stairs, she noticed Atkinson coming out of the kitchenette and discovered he experienced blood on him. 

Atkinson built a remark about Mr Povey, which she did not hear clearly, and the landlady then identified Mr Povey unconscious after going into the kitchenette. 

Mr Spence claimed 1 set of legs of the “significantly-sized” desk was on Mr Povey’s upper body, though the other set was on his legs.

Mr Povey’s deal with was battered, purple and swollen, and the girl immediately termed for an ambulance, the jury listened to.

Paramedics arrived and tried to help Mr Povey, but he was pronounced useless at 5.35pm. 

A post-mortem examination discovered there have been a number of spots of major blunt drive trauma to the head and neck, and 62 separate accidents in complete. 

Toxicology tests also discovered Mr Povey’s blood alcohol concentration to be 381microgrammes of alcoholic beverages in 100 millilitres of blood – which is much more than four-and-a-half times the restrict for driving in the United kingdom.

Atkinson’s outfits were being also found to have “a huge distribution of Mr Povey’s blood” on them next investigation. 

Subsequent his arrest, Atkinson gave a ready assertion to police officers in interview, stating he experienced gone into the kitchenette to make some toast. 

He mentioned he considered Mr Povey was pretty drunk as he was swaying from aspect to facet, and claimed he observed him fall ahead, banging his head on the sink and table in the corner, and “there was blood everywhere you go”. 

Atkinson said he went around to support Mr Povey but just after finding him upright, he fell around again, hitting the wall and probably the table. 

This resulted in Atkinson getting included in blood, he informed officers, and when he realised Mr Povey was motionless, he remaining the kitchenette to get help. 

Mr Spence told the jury: “As you will listen to all through the evidence, that account is flatly contradicted by both the pathologist who examined Mr Povey’s injuries and a forensic scientist, who examined the blood staining at the scene.

“Both equally of them individually and independently concluded that their conclusions had been reliable with a forceful and sustained assault and inconsistent with self-inflicted accidental accidents.”

Atkinson, of Norwich Street, Ipswich, has denied murder and an substitute cost of manslaughter. 

The demo, which is anticipated to last 3 to four weeks, proceeds.