A woman lay undiscovered in her home for more than a month after she was viciously battered to death, a court heard.

Charmaine Dempsey, 48, was found by her daughter at her ground-floor flat in Ivory Walk, Bewbush, Crawley, in December last year.

A jury at Lewes Crown Court heard Ms Dempsey, an alcoholic, is believed to have been killed on November 27 last year after she fell out with a group of friends, who were also drinkers.

Two men, Alex Gallacher, 33, and Stephen Johnstone, 26, have both denied murder.

The jury heard Tracey Gazzard, 29, who was Gallacher's girlfriend at the time, had admitted a charge of manslaughter at an earlier hearing on the grounds that she assaulted Ms Dempsey but did not intend to kill her.

Michael Chambers QC, prosecuting, told the court yesterday the victim was blamed by the other three after Gazzard's child was taken into care by social services. He said Ms Dempsey was babysitting one day in September last year when it was alleged she hit the child.

He said the police and social services became involved and the child was taken into care.

Mr Chambers told the jury that although the two women still met, the incident acted as a catalyst for a campaign of aggression by Gazzard against Ms Dempsey and her daughter.

He said Ms Dempsey was allegedly murdered after the two defendants and the two women met up at Ms Dempsey's home and were all drinking when violence broke out because of the ill-feeling.

He said: "We say the two defendants encouraged Ms Gazzard to hit Charmaine Dempsey, which she did."

"Thereafter the two defendants subjected her to a severe and vicious attack."

Gallacher, Johnstone and Gazzard were all living at the time in Neptune Close, Crawley.

The trial continues.