A father was tortured to death by the mother of his baby daughter, her ex-lover and her brother, a court heard today. Andrew Gardner, 35, was repeatedly punched, kicked, stamped on and burnt in the weeks leading up to his death in March last year, the court heard.
Clare Nicholls, 28, her brother Simon Nicholls, 24, and her ex-partner Steven Martin, 44, went on trial yesterday at Teesside Crown Court accused of his murder.
Mr Gardner's lifeless body was found by paramedics in the living room of the house he shared with the three defendants in Arthur Street in Chilton, County Durham.
Opening the case for the Crown, Paul Sloan QC told the jury that Mr Gardner had been the victim of repeated attacks in the weeks before his death in March last year.
"It was apparent that Andrew Gardner had been severely and repeatedly beaten, burnt and tortured over a period of weeks," Mr Sloan said.
A post-mortem examination revealed he had suffered 21 separate rib fractures.
"The rib fractures are such that they are normally encountered at the severe end of the spectrum, as seen in a car crash or considerable falls from height," Mr Sloan said. "The only reasonable explanation for the rib fractures is that Andrew Gardner was repeatedly and forcibly jumped on with feet or knees as he lay on the floor."
Mr Gardner's feet and left leg had been severely burnt when a hot liquid was poured over him as he took a bath, Mr Sloan told the court, adding that he had also suffered burns to his neck and back, which the Crown alleged was caused by Mr Martin's cigarette lighter. And burns to Mr Gardner's back and left shoulder were consistent with being held forcibly against a hot radiator.
Mr Sloan explained to the jury that the victim and the three defendants all lived together in the same house.
"Clare Nicholls and Simon Nicholls are sister and brother. At the relevant time the deceased Andrew Gardner was Clare Nicholls's partner," he said.
"Steven Martin, the third defendant, had at one time been Clare Nicholls's partner. Not withstanding the cessation of that relationship Clare Nicholls and Steven Martin still maintained what can be described as an 'on-off relationship'."
The court heard that Clare Nicholls is mother to girls, aged nine and five, and a seven-year-old boy. She also had a one-year-old daughter with Mr Gardner.
The jury heard that Simon Nicholls had dialled 999 at 11.27 p.m. on March 13 last year claiming that Mr Gardner had come home saying he had been attacked. When paramedics arrived they found Mr Gardner lying on the floor of the living room wearing just a pair of shorts.
"He was not breathing, he had no pulse and his body was stiff, indicating he had been dead for some hours," Mr Sloan said.
"When asked, Simon Nicholls claimed the deceased had been lying on the floor for half an hour."
He told police that Mr Gardner had left the house at about 8.30 p.m. that evening before returning just after 11 p.m. complaining of being assaulted.
Clare Nicholls said she had been upstairs when her partner returned home, while Mr Martin said he had been watching TV with Simon Nicholls, the court heard.
The mother of Simon and Clare, Janet Hall, who lives a few doors away in Arthur Street, was found hiding behind the bathroom door by police.
The three defendants, all of Arthur Street, Chilton, County Durham, deny murder.
A total of six medical experts, including burns specialists and A&E trauma consultants, have provided evidence for the prosecution.
A post-mortem examination by Home Office pathologist Dr Nigel Cooper revealed the suffering Mr Gardner had endured.
"There was an innumerable number of blows dealt to Andrew Gardner, which included slaps or quite possibly kicks or blows from weapons over a period of at least weeks," Mr Sloan said.