Son on trial accused of dad's murder
HandoutA man has gone on trial accused of murdering his father during an argument after returning home from the pub.
Brian Smith, 33, denies killing 73-year-old Stanley Smith, who was living alone at Fell Close in Silloth, Cumbria, after separating from his wife.
Carlisle Crown Court heard the pair had visited the town's Albion pub on 21 December to watch the football, where Stanley consumed three bottles of Newcastle Brown Ale and a pint of Guinness, while Brian had four pints of Guinness.
Brian Smith, of Friars Garth, Abbeytown, denies murder and the trial continues.
The court heard the pub's landlady described the pair as being "completely normal" and like a "typical father and son going out for a few drinks and watching the football".
CCTV captured them returning to Stanley's address just before 20:00 GMT and a neighbour reported hearing very loud arguing about forty minutes later.
'I restrained him'
The neighbour said they thought someone was being pushed or shoved and rang his mother to tell her what was happening.
Towards the end of the call, which lasted almost nine minutes, everything went quiet, they added.
Prosecutor Kim Whittlestone told the jury: "The reason it went quiet was because Stanley Smith was dead, and that he had been murdered by his son."
Whittlesone said a series of text messages and voice notes were exchanged by the accused, his mother, another woman and a friend in which he started to "create a narrative" about the events inside the bungalow.
In one, to the woman, Brian Smith wrote: "He started on me so I restrained him."
In a police interview, he demonstrated the restraint which he said occurred as he walked his father to a bedroom.
His father, he said, "heel-kicked" him and grabbed his knuckle.
Brian Smith said his father then followed him and collapsed with "no warning, no inkling" in the hallway.
The court heard that CCTV footage showed a reflection of the pensioner "lying dead on the floor of the hallway" just before 21:00 GMT.
'Attacked from behind'
Brian Smith left Fell Close at 21:20 GMT, went to his mother's address and then to hospital with injuries to his lip and right hand which, he said, were caused by his father.
"Was it, as the defendant states, caused by his father grabbing his hand and squeezing it hard after he released his father?" asked Whittlestone.
"Or could it have been caused as Stan Smith was being restrained in an arm lock by the defendant and Stan has tried desperately to pull his son's hand or arm from around his throat?"
A pathologist concluded the cause of Stanley Smith's death was pressure to his neck.
The court heard internal bruising found on the back of his body, over the chest and shoulder blades, was consistent with him being "attacked from behind".
Brian Smith dialled 999 two minutes after returning to the address at 05:28 GMT on 22 December. He told a call handler his father "didn't die where he dropped" and had moved.
Whittlestone said "the prosecution case is that Stanley Smith had not moved".
He said: "The prosecution say that this is a case where considerable pressure has been applied to the neck of Stanley Smith by the defendant.
"Whilst this was happening the internal bruising to Stanley Smith's back strongly suggests a scenario where pressure has been to his back while Stanley Smith is being restrained.
"Anger took over and the prosecution case is that he murdered his father."
The trial continues.
