JILLIAN Howell was brutally killed by a jealous man with a vindictive streak, a jury has been told.

Closing the Crown’s case in the Fiveways murder trial, Alan Gardner prosecuting described David Browning as a “deeply selfish, self-centred man with a vindictive streak”.

Browning denies murdering University of Brighton payroll manager Ms Howell, 46, at her home in Sandgate Road, Brighton, on October 25

But Mr Gardner told the jury they should find him guilty of the crime, based on the evidence he planned the attack.

He said: “David Browning was the epitome of suburban normality. He has no history of violence, no drink problems, no drug problems, going to work every day.

“That’s the man David Browning was but he killed her in that savage fashion.

“But sadly not all such crimes are committed by mad men. Crimes such as this are sometimes committed by people who appear normal.

“Plainly he became attracted to Jillian Howell. He developed an emotional attachment to her, but she didn’t share the same view of him

“David Browning reacted with anger and violence, that’s the reality.

“This was a crime driven by anger jealousy and betrayal.

“When he went to Jillian Howell’s house that night he wasn’t in the grip of depression at all.

“The rational judgements he was making, the rational steps of planning to kill her. “

Browning, of Willow Drive, Seaford, admits manslaughter, claiming he was suffering a brain abnormality caused by depression sparked by the death of his father a year earlier.

However Mr Gardner said that although his actions were excessive, they did not prevent him making a rational judgement.

He said: “He was in control of himself when he decided to kill her. He had a choice over whether he killed her.

“He kept that knife in his pocket. He took the knife out. He made a rational decision to do that.

“This was a ferocious assault on her.”

“What he did was illegal and over the top but rational as he was responding to human emotions.”

“Writing the word bully on her head – he said that was the last thing he did before going to the police station.

“The last thing he does before giving himself up was a considered action.”

The trial continues.

THE BRUTAL killing of Jillian Howell was not murder because it was so out of character for her boring killer. a court was told.

Graham Trembath QC defending David Browning told the jury at Hove Crown Court: “You have been sitting there thinking about a brutal, violent and horrible thing.

“By all accounts Jillian Howell was an utterly nice lady and she was clearly trying to help and support David Browning.

“The crown has suggested this was a cold calculated execution, but how many murders do you suppose are rationally undertaken, rationally executed?

“How many killers turn up in a relatively short space of time standing outside a police station phoning 999. It is very bizarre.

“I’m going to suggest to you almost everything he was doing, horrible, brutal and violent as it was, when he killed Jillian Howell it was utterly irrational.

Referring to his client as Mr Boring he added: “he had an absolutely uneventful life for half a century.

“The other problem with this is depression.

“Do any of us who have never suffered with depression know the depths of despair that black cloud under which you descend?

“And men being a bit macho d not want to admit to anyone they have a problem, that things are not right in their heads.”

The trial continues.