A wife accused of murdering her husband was overheard saying “You’re dead”, a court heard today.
Maria Hopes and her son Leon Port deny the murder of her husband Mark Hopes, Port's stepfather, found battered to death at his home
Maria Hopes, 46, and her son Leon Port, 24, have denied beating her husband Mark Hopes to death at their marital home.
Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court heard Mr Hopes suffered a severe beating over many hours at their marital home – but the mother and son blame each other for the killing.
The court heard his mother Ida Smith received a phone call from Port’s mobile phone on the night of the alleged murder on October 2 last year.
Prosecutor Michael Quinlan said she allegedly heard laughter in the background, with a female voice saying: “You’re dead, you greasy fat *******.”
But the court heard it was not until the 7.09am the next morning Port called the emergency services.
He told them: “My stepfather went out. He came home with a cut. We thought we could clean it up.
“He got up in the middle of the night. We think he had a beating or something.
“We came in this morning and he’s not breathing. We think he had a fall or something.”
The court heard Hopes was to later say: “He’s stone cold. He’s stiff. Not moving.”
Mr Quinlan said: “She described him as being a dead weight.”
'Self-serving lies'
The court heard Mr Hopes, 45, was found battered to death at the house in Brithweunydd Road in Trealaw, Rhondda Cynon Taf .
Mr Quinlan said: “He suffered significant external and internal injuries to his head, face and body from which he died.
“He was beaten to death in an assault which must have lasted an appreciable time and involved the use of a weapon.
“His wife and stepson were complicit in that assault and his murder. You have a mother and son in the dock each charged with murder and each essentially blames the other.”
He told the court that after the alleged murder the two started to dispose of the evidence, cleaning up and washing clothes.
“They helped themselves and each other and not the dying Mr Hopes,” said Mr Quinlan.
Mr Quinlan said Port and Hopes lied in their witness statements.
“They lied in an attempt to hide from the police the the truth of what happened,” he said.
“Hopes continued to tell self-serving lies blaming her son for her husband’s death.”
Port, of Mountain Ash , and Hopes, of Trealaw, both deny murder but admit perverting the course of justice.
The trial continues at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court.
see-http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/youre-dead-what-wife-accused-11289900
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