Manslaughter claim in Nicole Cartmell murder trial

The murder trial of a West Bromwich teenager found dead under floorboards has been asked to consider whether her boyfriend "intended" to kill her.

Opening the defence of Stephen Devesey yesterday barrister Mr Christopher Hotten QC also asked the jury to decide if Devesey was mentally sound. He said if the answer to either question was 'no', then they had to conclude he was guilty of the manslaughter of Nicole Cartmell but not murder.

"Something has led up to this," said Mr Hotten.

"It has not happened in a vacuum. There was a real and genuine affection between the two of them."

But he said in January last year there was a turning point.

He said: "She felt she was driven to make a choice between the child she had given birth to and the man she loved. They were forced apart as a couple."

Mr Hotten highlighted a Valentine's Day card from Devesey to Nicole in which he referred to her as 'the best girl in the world'.

He also referred to a flurry of texts sent from him to her and her to him in the days leading up to the death.

"It may well be that the defendant was bombarding Nicky with messages," he said.

"But she was replying. This is not one-way traffic. Mr Devesey must have feared he was going to lose his girlfriend and his child as well. "

Devesey, 21, denies murdering 18-year-old Nicole, who is originally from West Bromwich, almost three weeks before her decomposing body was found at his terraced home in Whateley Road, Handsworth, on March 2 last year.

She was reported missing on Valentine's Day. She was living with her mother when she disappeared after disagreements with her boyfriend.

The trial continues.

By David Lumb