A man killed Good Samaritan mum Alison Wilson by thrusting a broken wine bottle into her neck when she tried to stop him attacking a woman holding a baby, a court heard.
Prosecutors say Stephen Duggan, 28, severed the jugular vein of the 36-year-old mum-of-two, from Widnes, at around 11.20pm on Saturday, March 7 this year.
Liverpool Crown Court heard Ms Wilson and Anthony Tomlinson intervened because they were concerned for the baby which, during a tussle fell, from a car seat and landed face down on the ground.
Gordon Cole, QC, prosecuting, said Duggan launched a “deliberate and unprovoked” attack on the pair in Frank Street, Halton View, Widnes.
He said the defendant struck the 43-year-old Mr Tomlinson on the forehead with the bottle before using it to cut his face and kill Ms Wilson.
Doctors tried to save her life, but she died in hospital six days later on March 13.
The court heard Duggan had been drinking with a woman, to celebrate a new job, at his dad Gary Duggan’s house in Bell House Lane.
Mr Cole said the defendant became “argumentative and aggressive” before he “stormed off in a mood”.
He said Duggan tried to take the sleeping baby with him but was stopped by the woman. He left carrying a baby changing bag and a bottle of wine.
The court heard he recognised a man called Mark Smith and started talking to him near Halton View Bridge.
Mr Cole said the woman came over carrying the baby and a “very heated argument” broke out.
The victims, who had collected a takeaway on their way home from a pub, were in a taxi being driven by Philip Horrocks.
Mr Cole said Mr Horrocks heard the woman shouting and that everyone in the taxi was “concerned for the safety of the baby”.
The jury heard Mr Tomlinson shouted: “Is everything okay? What’s going on?” before suggesting he should intervene, but Ms Wilson said it would be better if she went.
Mr Cole said: “She was a mother of two children of her own. She thought it would be less intimidating if she got from the taxi and went to calm things down.”
He said the woman was punched by Duggan and Mr Tomlinson asked what was happening.
Mr Cole said: “The defendant was heard to say ‘never mind what I’m f***ing doing, what are you f***ing doing poking your nose into my business?’”
He said “aggressive” Duggan walked towards Mr Tomlinson and struck him to the left side of the head.
Mr Cole said: “He was knocked to the floor, like he was pole-axed. Having hit Anthony Tomlinson the defendant turned towards Alison Wilson. He struck her to the neck causing her to stumble backwards and then fall to the ground.
“The woman he was with screamed out something like ‘oh my God what are you doing?’.”
The court heard the woman fled with her baby and was followed by Duggan.
Mr Cole said Mr Tomlinson had his takeaway in one hand and Ms Wilson’s handbag in the other.
He said: “It seems he did not think for one moment either he or Alison would be attacked. When he was hit he remembers a cold liquid sensation and presumed he had been hit by a bottle.
“The blow caused him to be knocked to the ground. When he became more aware he saw Alison holding her hand on her neck and he saw blood coming between her fingers.”
Mr Cole said Duggan might suggest he caught Ms Wilson while swinging his arm or a bag at Mr Tomlinson, but the evidence was “compelling”.
He said: “This defendant was the aggressor. We say it was he who lost his temper, it was he who deliberately attacked both Alison Wilson and Anthony Tomlinson and he inflicted more than one blow.
“This was not some sort of accident as he may seek to make out.
“We say that to use a bottle as he did with the force and such deliberation shows that at the time he lost his temper he intended really serious harm.
“He used that bottle as a weapon to severely injure one person and to actually kill Alison Wilson.
“We say to use a bottle to the head or neck when she presented no threat whatsoever shows how he had lost his temper and shows he intended to cause her really serious harm.
“There were no threats issued, there was no warning.”
Duggan, of no fixed address but from Runcorn, admits manslaughter but denies murder.
He has admitted assaulting the woman and wounding Mr Tomlinson.
However, he denies the wounding with intent of Mr Tomlinson and assault causing actual bodily harm against the baby.
(Proceeding)
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Source: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/