Cynthia Beamond murder trial: Accused told police to 'catch killer and throw away the key'

Leo Barnes, aged 33, of Runcorn Road, Balsall Heath, Birmingham, is accused of killing 80-year-old widow Cynthia Beamond with a saucepan at her home on June 27, before murdering 67-year-old Philip Silverstone with a car jack at his home in Belsize Park, London, the next day.

Mrs Beamond's body was found on June 29, concealed in the garage of her Juliet Street home.

At Wolverhampton Crown Court yesterday, Mr Stephen Linehan QC, prosecuting, read Barnes' interviews with police where he repeatedly denied murdering anyone, and remained silent or gave 'no comment' answers to questions about the case.

West Midlands Police homicide detectives who questioned Barnes said throughout interviews at King's Heath police station he was threatening toward them, insulting, and used distraction techniques throughout - including turning his back to them, pulling down his track pants to reveal his 'bare backside', slapping it and telling them to 'kiss it'.

He also picked up a chair at one stage, causing the detectives to think he was going to assault them, the court heard.

Police asked Barnes about Mrs Beamond's missing property, including her mobile phone, and how the SIM card from her phone ended up in the Samsung phone he had with him when he was arrested.

A telephone mast half a mile from Latches Close, Darlaston - where Barnes' then-partner lived - picked up signals from the phone, and Mr Linehan QC said when all of the messages sent by Mrs Beamond's worried friends and family came through they 'pinged' off the nearby mast.

Police told Barnes he had 'slipped up' when he put the SIM into his own phone, which 'pinged' again later in the day near where Mrs Beamond's hand bag was dumped in a recycling bin.

Barnes said: "I don't know nothing about no f***ing murder and I am not responsible, if you have got evidence charge me or release me, end of.

"You better go and find the person and lock them up and throw away the key."

He told police he had gone to London to visit friends, including his former neighbours Mr and Mrs Silverstone, and carried the car jack with him for protection, claiming he had been attacked in London before.

He would not go into any further detail about that attack when asked by police, and had previously said the Silverstones got into an argument when he was at their home and Mrs Silverstone, who suffers severe dementia, had attacked her husband. Barnes claimed he left as he was scared and did not want to get involved, and left a bag containing the car jack in the hallway.

The trial continues.