Man accused of murdering Lewes mother with a claw hammer wanted to be in a relationship with her, court told

Nicola Stevenson, 39, was found dead in a bin undergrowth on the edge of the recreation ground off Landport Road, Lewes, on November 13, last year.

The vulnerable mother-of-two, who suffered with congenital deformities of the spine and a form of dwarfism, had been missing from her home in Stansfield Road, Lewes, for five weeks.

Richard Canlin, 42, is standing trial at Hove Crown Court accused of her murder.

‘Hated him’

The court heard on Friday (October 2), that Nicola had formed a relationship with a man called Nick Thompsett who she had met online.

He would regularly come round to her flat in Lewes, where Canlin was lodging, and the pair would cuddle up on the sofa.

Giving evidence at court, Mr Thompsett said Canlin would get annoyed when he saw them together and would give them funny looks.

He said both Nicola and Canlin told him they were brother and sister, but they were not related in any way, the court heard.

Mr Thompsett told the court that Nicola and Canlin would argue and Nicola was ‘frustrated by him’ and ‘wanted him out’.

She told Mr Thompsett that Canlin wanted to be in a relationship with her but she ‘hated him’.

Mr Thompsett told the court that Canlin would get jealous and angry, and he stole Nicola’s medication and her tobacco and had ‘blown his top at her a couple of times’.

He told the court that Nicola was planning to lock Canlin out of the house.

He said she kept a hammer under her sofa for protection.

Text messages

During the afternoon of October 10, which prosecution say was the day Nicola was murdered by Canlin, Nicola contacted Mr Thompsett to say Canlin was ‘kicking off again’ because she had caught him stealing her prescription medicine and was refusing to leave her home, the court heard.

Nicola sent a message to Mr Thompsett, saying: “Hey, can you send police to mine please. He’s kicking off because I’ve caught him out stealing my meds again.”

She sent another message just a minute later that read: “Please.”

Nicola tried calling the police on 101, but there was no answer, the court heard.

She then sent two emails to a police officer, telling her Canlin was getting abusive and she ‘wanted him out’.

Mr Thompsett messaged Nicola telling her to call 999, the court heard. There is then no action on his phone for two hours.

The court was told that Mr Thompsett sent Nicola a message asking if she was OK, and 20 minutes later he received a message that read: “I’m OK, I’ve got to say a big sorry to Richard, he didn’t nick my meds I found them so please don’t ring the police, I’m letting him stay until October 19, anyway how are you babes?”

Prosecution argue that Canlin sent this message and by this time Nicola had already been fatally attacked.

‘Moldy smell’

Mr Thompsett told the court that he was supposed to go and see Nicola the following day (October 11), but she stopped replying to his messages.

He went over to her flat to see what was going on but there was no answer and he tried a number of other times after that which were also unsuccessful.

He said he received a text message from Canlin saying Nicola had asked him to tell him that Nicola had ‘gone off with an old boyfriend’ in Scotland. Canlin then invited him round.

Mr Thompsett went over and saw that her mobility scooter was there, along with her walking frame and medication, the court heard.

He told the court he asked Canlin why Nicola had left her stuff at home, and he replied saying she had ‘done it before’.

Mr Thompsett said he was confused and continued to visit the flat when he started to notice that Canlin had moved stuff around and had removed a photograph of Nicola and her two children.

He told the court that there was a ‘moldy smell’ in the bedroom and there was different bedding on Nicola’s bed.

Mr Thompsett said Canlin told him that he had contacted the council to have the flat changed into his name.

He also said Canlin told him that he and Nicola were boyfriend and girlfriend, not brother and sister, the court heard.

Mr Thompsett told the court that Nicola had never said this was the case.

Canlin ‘brandished hammer’

He said after Nicola disappeared, Canlin reached for the hammer under the sofa before brandishing it and saying: “If anybody comes in here I’ll whack them with this.”

Mr Thompsett said Canlin used drugs and he sometimes saw him do “brown rock” where he would smoke it in tin foil.

He told the court that he did not see Nicola take drugs at all.

‘Someone will kill her one day’

A statement from one of Nicola’s friends, who has since passed away, was read out in court.

Her friend said when she tried to go and see Nicola, Canlin told her that she had fallen out of bed, burst stitches in her finger, which she had recently been in hospital for, and had been rushed to hospital in an ambulance.

During another visit to the flat, she said Canlin told her that Nicola had come at him with a hammer and threw a tin of beans at him. He then told her: “She really f****** pushes. Someone will kill her one day.”

Nicola’s friend continued to visit the flat, the court heard, and she noticed a strong smell of cleaning products and said Canlin had ‘gone mad cleaning’.

She said during another visit, Canlin told her that Nicola had gone to Scotland with another man, and talked about her ‘as if she was never coming back’.

Video footage of Canlin buying cleaning products at Aldi was shown to the jury – along with clips of him making several cash withdrawals on Nicola’s bank card after she disappeared.

Canlin denies murder

Earlier, a jury heard that the 42-year-old had not reported her missing, and had lied to neighbours about her disappearance.

Nicola, who had survived cancer, was diagnosed with a spine injury at birth and needed medication for Russell-Silver syndrome, a form of dwarfism. She was 4ft 9ins tall and required a mobility scooter to get around.

Canlin, of no fixed address, denies murder and the trial is expected to last two weeks.

The trial continues.