Mylee Billingham: Murder-accused father's claims of amnesia 'not genuine', court hears
CLAIMS made by a father-of-six that he cannot recall fatally stabbing his young daughter are 'unlikely to be genuine', a murder trial has heard.
Dr Philip Joseph told Birmingham Crown Court William Billingham was 'probably not suffering from a personality disorder' and had no history of mental health problems when he wounded Mylee Billingham.
It comes after the 55-year-old defendant claimed he could only remember events the day before and after the eight-year-old died.
Giving evidence in Billingham's murder trial, the consultant forensic psychiatrist said: "You would not expect amnesia to be for the whole of that day. That really doesn't make sense.
"His claim of complete amnesia is really about the fact that he does not want to talk about it."
Prosecutors allege Billingham murdered Mylee after struggling to cope with ex-partner Tracey Taundry's new relationship with a woman.
Dr Joseph said he found Billingham to be slightly below average intelligence, as well as 'possessive and jealous' in relationships.
Mylee's death 'may well have been a case of hurting Tracey in the most devastating way', he went on to tell the jury of four men and eight women.
Giving evidence on Thursday, Dr Joseph added: "His problems, it seems to me, are confined entirely to his relationship with women and how he deals with then when they go wrong."
The medic said he could 'see no evidence' of any condition which would have impaired Billingham's ability to make rational decisions or exercise control.
He said unemployed factory worker Billingham feared Ms Taundry's new relationship would mean less contact with his children, which he 'could not accept'.
It comes after the she told him he had to stop coming to her home to see the children because of the new relationship during Christmas dinner last year.
Dr Joseph added: "I have concluded that although he was feeling angry and under some stress in the period prior to the killing, he was not suffering from a recognised medical condition.
"Therefore the defence to murder of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility does not apply."
During the trial, jurors were told Billingham stabbed Mylee with a 20 inch blade in his Valley View house on January 20.
Billingham denies making a threat to kill Mylee's mother Tracey Taundry and murder. The trial continues.
