Accused pensioner ‘spoke to his fork’

Mar 1 2008 by Robin Turner, Western Mail

A PENSIONER who allegedly confessed a murder while talking to his pet cats also talked to his cutlery, a court was told yesterday.

At Swansea Crown Court, ex lorry driver David Henton, 72, of Skewen, Neath, is denying murdering his former girlfriend Joyce Sutton, 65, at her home in Neath in 2006.

Yesterday, Henton agreed with his defence barrister Elwen Evans QC that as well as talking to his cats he occasionally spoke to a fork.

Earlier this week the jury heard recordings from listening devices placed in Henton’s home at Parc Wern, Skewen, and in his car.

Paul Lewis, QC, prosecuting, claims Henton’s rambling chats with his cats Pudsey and Twinkle amount to a confession with the defendant appearing to say in one tape, “I hit my Joyce”.

But Miss Evans denies the claims asserting they have been misinterpreted. She asked Henton, “Do you speak to the cutlery.. did you speak to the fork?”

Henton answered, “Yes.”

Miss Evans said, “We can hear you on one of the tapes saying ‘Now then fork...’.

In his conversation with the fork, captured on the surveillance tape, Henton then went on say the police were “amateurs”. She asked him, “Why were you saying they were amateurs?”

He replied, “I don’t know, it was all very strange what was going on.”

“The police say that here and there on the tapes there are some kind of admissions that you hit her. Is that right?” she said.

He answered, “No, I never, ever hit her.”

The case continues.