Paramedics thought Wolverhampton woman accused of murdering husband in Newport was 'hysterical', court told

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Mr Pugh was 30 when he died as a result of compression injuries to his neck suffered at his wife’s property on Aston Drive in Newport on March 22, 2022.

The defendant had called 999 and told the emergency services her husband had been discovered with a belt around his neck at her back door, and had tried to take his own life.

Paramedics were able to raise a pulse after they were called to the scene, but Mr Pugh died at hospital the following day.

An examination of Mr Pugh’s injuries revealed that he had also suffered fractures to his nose and eye socket.

The prosecution allege that the pair, who were separated and had endured a ‘turbulent’ and ‘toxic ‘ relationship, had argued, and hit each other before Pugh gained the ‘upper hand’ on her husband.

Julian Evans KC, prosecuting, said: “She was able to somehow subdue him and she deliberately compressed his neck by some means.”

He told the jury of seven women and five men that it could have been strangulation, a chokehold, or a ligature, adding: “But however it was done, it was violence at her hands.”

Mr Evans said Mr Pugh had a history of self harm and attempts to kill himself, and the defendant had ‘quite deliberately and quite callously’ tried to use his difficulties as part of her cover up.

Stafford Crown Court heard Pugh denied any violence had taken place when she spoke to police and instead told them Mr Pugh had left around 6.30pm to 7pm and she had discovered her husband outside the back door of the house with a belt around his neck when she went to let the dog out at 8.45pm.

But she did not call 999 until 9.04pm, and had instead called her father several times - including one call lasting six minutes.

Mr Evans told the court: “What followed after that incident in the kitchen was Amy Pugh doing everything she could to escape responsibility for the violence she directed at Kyle.

“Her attempts to do so took different forms

"They involved her first of all deciding not to immediately summon medical help for Kyle. Why? Because she attacked him.

“She did not call 999 straight away which someone - the prosecution would say - would have done if the circumstances she was to tell police in interview had happened were the truth.”

He added: “There were determined efforts to lay a false trail.”

The court was told that when paramedics arrived Pugh was ‘hysterical’.

They described her appearing to be jumping on his chest and slapping him in the face.

Mr Evans said she told paramedics that she had opened the back door and ‘found him hanging off the back door’.

But he said neither police nor the ambulance service reported seeing any ligature marks around Mr Pugh’s neck.

After around ten to 15 minutes of attempting to revive him the ambulance crew were able to get Mr Pugh’s heart beating again and took him to Princess Royal Hospital in Telford.

He was moved to intensive care but died the following day.

The trial continues.