Shrewsbury murder trial: Prue Leith Cooking School graduate was found dead in blood-stained sleeping bag with brain haemorrhage and 17 rib fractures
A Prue Leith Cooking School graduate and talented chef who lost his career to addiction was found dead in a blood-stained sleeping bag, "murdered" by an “alcoholic", a court heard.
Adam Rowson, aged 26, is accused of murdering Alexis De Naray in Shrewsbury - who was found to have 17 rib fractures and a brain haemorrhage.
Mr De Naray, 44, was a head chef at numerous London restaurants before struggling with alcohol and becoming homeless.
His body was found in a derelict building by the Shelton Water Tower in Holyhead Road, Shrewsbury on Friday, June 27 last year.
He was discovered in a blood-stained sleeping bag, covered in blood and bruises.
It was Rowson who called paramedics, and told a policeman there had been an “altercation”.
A pathologist said Mr De Naray’s injuries could have been from punches, kicks, stomps, or use of an implement, and considered that the totality of the injuries “could not be explained by punches alone”.
Sally Howes KC, prosecuting, told the jury at Stafford Crown Court: “Shortly after 11:30am in the morning, West Mercia Police received a 101 call reporting that an unidentified man was in an abandoned house. The caller thought he was dead.
“Emergency services attended. Having been guided by the maker of the call, who had met the first ambulance crew en route, police and paramedics were directed to an attic room above the double garage that had belonged to a nearby large, derelict house.
“In that attic room, paramedics noticed what appeared to be a mound of blankets - but it wasn’t. Upon removing the top blanket they uncovered a male body, covered with a sleeping bag, the head, arms and feet protruding.
“When they removed the sleeping bag, the paramedics noted that the body was rigid, completely naked and positioned face down on the floor. Face and arms were completely covered with dried blood.
“There was blood on the inside of the sleeping bag. The body was covered in bruises, notably the back.
“Dried blood was noted on the floor around the top of the head and an extensive patch of blood near the right side of the right leg. The extent of the injuries identified on the body were considered ‘beyond recognition of life’ and death was pronounced at 12:05pm.”
The last record of Mr De Naray being seen alive is a clip of CCTV footage that captures him walking towards the derelict property in the company of Rowson at 3:57am on Tuesday, June 24.
Ms Howes told the court that Mr De Naray was from a Greek family, although he had been born in London and spent most of his life in the UK.
“He was a well educated man who, having attended the Prue Leith Cooking School, worked as a head chef in a number of restaurants in London.
“Unfortunately, due to the stressful nature of the job, drinking became a way of life and his alcohol problems began. By the time of his death he had become a chronic alcoholic.
“Following the Covid lockdown, Mr De Naray was admitted to St George’s Hospital, London on life support due to having seizures caused by alcohol withdrawal.
“As a result, Mr De Naray’s father arranged housing for him in Shrewsbury - near to the family home.
“However, despite the help of his father and a number of local agencies that supported those affected by drug and alcohol addiction, at the time of his death, Mr De Naray was a homeless alcoholic.”
Mr De Naray was booked in to stay for one night at the Premier Inn, Telford, on Sunday, June 22 but he did not turn up. On Monday, June 23, he was conveyed in an unconscious state by ambulance from the Thomas Botfield public house in Telford, to the A&E department of the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital at 6.40pm.
The next day his father, having been unable to contact him since June 22, became concerned and reported him as a missing person to West Mercia Police.
Rowson, who is from Shrewsbury, was described as “an alcoholic” who occasionally uses illicit drugs.
It was said that he suffers from Crohn’s Disease.
He was homeless and, for some months, had been living in a small tent on some unused land near to the water tower.
In the emergency call, Rowson said he thought Mr De Naray was dead. “He added that the man was not breathing and that he was stiff,” Ms Howes said.
By 11:49am the first of two ambulance crews were sent.
When they arrived, Rowson guided the paramedics to the location.
"He was upset and crying. His hands were shaking."
“He was upset and crying,” said Ms Howes. “His hands were shaking. They noticed his eyes appeared puffy and bloodshot.
“Whilst still in the ambulance the defendant stated, ‘I found the body there
dead’ and ‘I do know him. I helped him find somewhere to live’.
When he pointed out to paramedics how to get to Mr De Naray, he said: “I don’t want to see”.
“They found the body of a male, naked, face down on the floor under a blanket and a blood stained sleeping bag. His face was covered in dried blood and he had extensive bruising across his body. A blackened imprint was noted on his left buttock which appeared to have a logo.
“There was a large pool of dried blood around the top of his head and a further pool of dried blood to the right of the body. Paramedics also noted a group of blood stains in the vicinity of the left hand described as ‘claw marks’.
“One paramedic describes “bits of blood here, there and everywhere”. The extent of the injuries was ‘beyond recognition of life’ and death was pronounced at 12:05pm.”
A paramedic from the second ambulance to attend the scene, Libby Smith, thought she recognised Mr De Naray from having attended him on a call earlier in the week.
PC Paul Watts arrested Rowson on suspicion of murder, after he said there had been an “altercation” with Mr De Naray.
Rowson told PC Watts that he had sore elbows, a bruised right knee and left hip from the fight with Mr De Naray.
Paramedics found a wallet at the scene and handed it to PC Watts. On inspecting the contents he found a bank card in the name of Alexis De Naray.
Part of the ensuing police investigation focused on tracing Mr De Naray’s movements and ascertaining his whereabouts during the week leading to the finding of his body.
Footage captured Mr De Naray in the company of Rowson as they made their way on foot towards the location of the derelict house. That was the last time he was seen alive.
Ms Howes also said Mr De Naray’s bank card had been used by Rowson on numerous occasions in the week leading up to the discovery of his body, including at Nisa in Pensfold, the Co-op in Welshpool Road and the nearby Severn Hospice charity shop.
Ms Howes also said the jury would have the opportunity to listen to a recording taken from outside Shoplatch Food and Wine in Shrewsbury town centre, in which the prosecution suggest Rowson says he “killed someone”.
She said that Rowson attended the office of addiction support service We Are With You at Castle Gates at approximately 3.40pm on Thursday, June 26.
"Am I going to be arrested? "
A worker recalled the first thing Rowson said to her was, “Am I going to be arrested?” She responded, “What’s gone on for that to be one of the first things you say?”
“Rowson refused to say any more, save to say he was a bad person and that he had done something bad,” Ms Howes said.
“It was the next day, Friday, June 27, that he called the police to report that he had found a dead body.”
A pathologist noted there was heavy contamination of Mr De Naray’s head with blood extending onto the chest. There was also contamination onto the torso by fragments of glass and other detritus. The right eye demonstrated “heavily putrefactive damage with maggot activity and fly eggs”.
Mr De Naray also had a subarachnoid haemorrhage - a type of brain bleed.
The pathologist considered that Mr De Naray had been subject to a significant blunt force assault with multiple and widespread injuries indicating multiple impacts to the head, torso and upper limbs.
He explains that blunt force impacts can arise as a consequence of punches, kicks, stomps, or use of an implement.
“He considers that the totality of the injuries could not be explained by punches alone,” said Ms Howes.
“A significant finding at postmortem was widespread and extremely severe fracturing of the left side of the ribcage.”
Professor Anthony Freemont, Bone Pathologist, identified 17 recent fractures to the ribs of the left ribcage, and said they were sustained in life within six hours of death.
It was also said that Mr De Naray has cirrhosis of the liver which was so severe that he would be less able to cope with the injuries sustained.
Toxicological analysis identified a very high level of alcohol in his blood - more than five times the legal limit for driving.
His cause of death was given as "multiple injuries compounded by complications of longstanding use of alcohol to excess and acute alcohol intoxication".
Rowson, of no fixed abode, was interviewed three times by police but replied “no comment” to questions.
He denies murder and an alternative charge of manslaughter.
“The likely issue for your consideration during the course of this trial will not be whether Adam Rowson caused the injuries sustained by the deceased but what his intention was at the time he caused them,” Ms Howes said.
“The prosecution will invite you to consider that the nature and extent of such injuries alone reflect a state of mind demonstrating, at the very least, an intention to do really serious harm.”
The trial continues.
