Court told of killing confession

A 20-year-old labourer confessed to strangling a former schoolfriend who had accused him of committing rape, Worcester Crown Court was told.

When the body of 21-year-old Adrian Palmer was found near the Post Office in Tenbury Wells on May 20 last year, Ben Murphy told police he was the killer, said Mr Robert Juckes QC, prosecuting.

Murphy, of Kyreside, Tenbury, appeared at Worcester Crown Court yesterday. He has admitted to manslaughter but denies the murder of Mr Palmer, who lived with his grandparents in Bromyard Road, Tenbury.

The pair had known each other for years and had been at the same primary school.

The court heard that at the end of 2005, Mr Palmer, who suffered from Asperger’s Syndrome - a form of autism - made an allegation that he had been raped by Murphy. There was a police investigation but no prosecution.

The jury heard Murphy was angry and left threatening messages on Mr Palmer’s mobile phone.

On May 19, Mr Palmer went to the Royal Oak in Tenbury and later met Murphy in The Vaults pub. They were seen talking and left at 11.30pm, the court heard.

Murphy later told police that he had knocked Mr Palmer to the floor, got on top of him and applied pressure to his neck. The court heard Murphy then rang his younger brother and said: “I have done something bad.”

Mr Palmer’s body was found by postman David Jenks at 4.30am.

The court heard that when he was arrested, Murphy was asked by police if he felt all right. He replied: “Not really, I’ve not killed anyone before.”

Murphy said he “flipped” during their talk, the court heard. The trial continues.