Linda Treeby was murdered at a caravan park in Ingoldmells.
The man accused of murdering his partner during a visit to the East Coast to mark her birthday told a jury that he “lost it” on the night she died.
Andrew Highton, who is alleged to have punched, kicked and stamped on Linda Treeby as well as smashing a glass ashtray on her, told the jury at Lincoln Crown Court on Monday, November 25 that he regretted what happened and he loved her.
Highton, who went into the witness box at the start of the second week of his trial, said that on the afternoon of the day she died they went to a pub and played pool but left after Linda became “a bit aggressive”.
He told the jury “She was a bit worse for wear. I just wanted to get her home.”
Highton said they returned to their caravan on the Summerlands site at Ingoldmells and he sat down to watch television while his partner was in the kitchen preparing food.
“I think she was looking for an argument. She asked if I wanted food. I said ‘no’. She spilled some and chucked the rest in a bag.”
Highton said that then Linda made a comment about his daughter not wishing her happy birthday.
“I was trying to calm her down. It had no effect. She was just getting louder.
“I stood up to go out of the caravan. She was stood there not letting me past.”
He said that as the conversation continued Linda called him a pervert. He told the jury “That made me feel worthless. I was worth nothing.”
Highton claimed she then commented about the fact that he was not present when his mother died and about how his dad didn’t want him.
“She punched me in the head. She also slapped me around the head. She was saying that my family hate me.
“Then she’s gone to punch me. I pushed her and she’s gone back. She’s fallen on the floor on her face. I did it to defend myself.
“I put my hand out to help her up. As I did that she’s kicked me in the groin area. I kicked her and caught her round the leg area.
“She was screaming. She was shouting. Then I’ve hit her with my fist. I hit her three, four times.
“I didn’t want to hurt her. I’d just had enough I didn’t want to have it no more. She shouldn’t have been saying it. It happened very fast. It just happened and I regret it.
“I lost it. I loved her very, very much.”
Under cross-examination Highton said he only used his fists and he denied kicking, stamping and smashing a glass ashtray in Linda’s face.
He said he had no idea how the ashtray was smashed.
Andrew Highton, 51, of Highbury Road, Bulwell, Nottingham, denies murder and an alternative charge of manslaughter on May 29 this year.
The trial continues.
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Plans for a new Aldi supermarket, drive-thru coffee shop and two retail centre at Lincoln’s Moorland Centre are to be approved.
City of Lincoln Council’s planning committee will be asked to give Lincolnshire Co-op’s plans the go ahead next Wednesday.
The move would see the former Downtown building off Tritton Road demolished to make way for the development.
A report before the committee said “the layout, scale and design of the development is acceptable, complementing the architectural style of the local surroundings.
“It is not considered that the amenities of neighbouring residential properties or neighbouring uses would be unduly harmed by the proposal.”
The Aldi supermarket would be at the back of the site, near the current M&S Food Hall and would front onto a new 193-space car park, which would bring the number of spaces at the retail park to over 360.
Designs for the new Aldi at the Moorland Centre.
A new entrance to the Aldi car park would be created off Moorland Way.
The drive-thru coffee shop is planned for the front of the site, close to The Elite Fish & Chip Shop.
Two retail units, which would be next to the Aldi supermarket, would be built in a second phase.
A 20-year-old man has been charged after police searched his Lincoln home and found various drugs, including cocaine, MDMA, amphetamines and ketamine.
Officers completed a search under the Misuse of Drugs Act on Newark Road on the evening of Friday, January 15.
The property raided was the address of Henry Lamyman, 20, and he has been subsequently charged with possession of drugs with intent to supply.
He has been charged with six separate drug supply offences, after officers found cocaine, MDMA, cannabis, amphetamine, ketamine and psychoactive substances, namely LSD, at his home.
Police found approximately a kilogram of cocaine, over a kilogram of ketamine, more than 1,000 pills, 800g of cannabis and 270g of amphetamines.
He has also been charged with an offence relating to criminal property, and appeared before Lincoln Magistrates Court on Monday, January 18.
He will now face a trial by jury at Lincoln Crown Court on February 15, and has been bailed until then.