A court has been hearing how a man beat an elderly woman to death with her own walking stick before using it to kill his wife in Crawley Down.

Jurors were told how in December last year Daniel Appleton, 38, chased his wife Amy out of their home and began attacking her on their driveway. Sandy Seagrave, who was passing by, tried to intervene but Mr Appleton turned his aggression towards the pensioner and murdered her with her own walking stick. He then returned to his wife and bludgeoned her to death with the same walking stick.

Following this Mr Appleton went back into his home and tried to take his own life, before he was eventually saved by emergency services and charged with murder.

The 38-year-old from Hazel Way denies murder but accepts responsiblity, with the jury being told he was suffering a ‘psychotic episode’.

You can read more about the ongoing trial here.

If you have news for Sussex and Surrey, contact us on news@susyradio.com