A husband who returned home to find his wife with another man smashed him over the head with a bottle of vodka before fatally stabbing him in the stomach and neck, a court heard.
Carlo Dawes, 35, allegedly went into a “jealous rage” after discovering Graeme Pethard in his Bevendean flat in the early hours of May 5 this year.
A jury at Lewes Crown Court heard that the victim begged for mercy just seconds before Dawes, of Taunton Road, fatally plunged the blade into his neck.
Prosecuting, Kaly Kaul QC, explained that Dawes’ wife Kayleigh Chessell, had met Mr Pethard through a Facebook remembrance page to a mutual friend.
She said they had exchanged texts in the previous month and met in the days leading up to the fatal stabbing.
Ms Kaul added that tension had been building between Dawes and his wife and a string of “angry” text messages indicated that they had broken up.
Mr Pethard, from Liverpool, had travelled to Brighton with his friends for a short break and had arranged to meet Ms Chessell.
The group had spent the evening of May 3 together and as a result Ms Chessell had not arrived home as arranged.
Angry texts
The court heard that this angered him and he smashed up her belongings and sent a series of angry text messages to her.
Ms Kaul told how Ms Chessell ignored the messages and returned home the next day before later in the afternoon arranging to see Mr Pethard before he returned to Liverpool.
She added how Mr Pethard expressed his concerns at staying over at Ms Chessell’s Taunton Road flat in case Dawes returned, but just after 1.30am on May 5 he finally gave in.
The pair spent the early hours drinking together before going to sleep on the sofa.
Meanwhile, Dawes, who had spent the evening at his sister’s in Moulsecoomb, had ordered a taxi back to the flat.
Just after 5am, he walked into his front room to find the pair still asleep.
Ms Kaul explained that he grabbed a nearby vodka bottle before smashing it over his wife and then Mr Pethard.
A dazed Mr Pethard began to gather his belongings as Ms Chessell was “thrown around the room” by Dawes, Ms Kaul said.
Dawes then warned “get out my house or I’m going to stab you,” the court heard.
Moments later he went into the kitchen and grabbed a 20cm knife, Ms Kaul said.
Mr Pethard was heard begging for his life with the words “please don’t” ringing around the flat eight times before Dawes stabbed him in the stomach and then neck, the jury heard.
The court heard that Dawes fled the scene before throwing the knife down a nearby drain.
The emergency services arrived minutes later to find the flat covered in blood.
Despite their efforts Mr Pethard was declared dead at the scene shortly after 6am. Dawes denies murder.
The trial continues.
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