Jury continues considering verdicts in 1967 murder trial

Independent

2 days ago

A jury is continuing to consider verdicts in the trial of a 92-year-old man accused of the rape and murder of an elderly widow in 1967.
Ryland Headley, then aged 34, is accused of forcing entry into the home of 75-year-old Louisa Dunne in Bristol, and then attacking her.
The body of the mother-of-two was found by neighbours in her terraced home on Britannia Road, in the Easton area of the city, on the morning of June 28.
A woman was heard screaming hours before Mrs Dunne, who had been twice widowed and lived alone, was found dead, Bristol Crown Court heard.
Mrs Dunne, who was using the front room as a bedroom, was found lying on a pile of old clothes, and police found no evidence of any violent struggle in the house.
The trial heard a pathologist concluded Mrs Dunne died from asphyxia because of strangulation and pressure on her mouth, probably from a hand being forcibly held over it.
In 2024 items collected from the original investigation, including clothing and swabs, were sent for scientific investigation.
Forensic experts concluded the DNA recovered from a blue skirt worn by Mrs Dunne allegedly matched Headley to a ratio that meant it was one billion times more likely to be his DNA than that of someone else.
A left hand palm print found on an upstairs window at Mrs Dunne's home also allegedly matched the defendant, the jury was told.
Anna Vigars KC, prosecuting, told the jury in her closing speech that police in 1967 had 'all of the clues but none of them' and were unable to identify a suspect.
'But now there is a rather more complete picture, thanks mainly to the advances that modern science has made,' she said.
'It is now known that skirt has sperm from Ryland Headley.'
When Headley was arrested at his home in Suffolk in November last year, on suspicion of murdering Mrs Dunne, he told detectives: 'I don't know what you are talking about. Very strange, very strange.'
The trial also heard Headley had been jailed for the rape of two elderly women in 1977, whose homes he had broken into, threatening them with violence if they did not comply.
He also asked for a further 10 offences of overnight burglaries previously, to be taken into account when he was sentenced.
Headley, of Clarence Road, Ipswich, has pleaded not guilty to charges of rape and murder. He did not give evidence during the trial.
Jeremy Benson KC, representing Headley, told the jury: 'Any loss of life is tragic. It would be perfectly natural and understandable for you to feel that after 58 years, someone should be found responsible for the death of Louisa Dunne.
'But that would be revenge and not justice.
'Your task is to consider the evidence dispassionately. You must put aside any sympathy or prejudice and only convict Ryland Headley if on the evidence the prosecution has made you sure of guilt.'
He said his client had 'no recollection' of having visited Mrs Dunne or having sexual intercourse with her and did not rape or kill her.
On Thursday afternoon, trial judge Mr Justice Sweeting sent the jury of eight men and four women out to consider their verdicts.
'You must decide the case on the evidence and the arguments you heard in court,' he told them.
'You must not do any research about the case or searches on the internet.'
The jury resumed their deliberations in the case at 10.35am on Friday.
Headley denies rape and murder.