Angmering woman on trial for murder

Alison Walder, 22, is alleged to have fatally stabbed Adrian Ede twice as he fought with her partner Lewis Martindale outside their home.

A jury heard how there had been a long-standing dispute between the dead man and 22-year-old Martindale arising from a row over a car.

The dispute finally came to a head on September 15 last year when the two men had a fist-fight outside Martindale and Walder's home in Parsons Close, Angmering.

Prosecutor Camden Pratt told the court that it was during this fight that Walder allegedly grabbed a kitchen knife and inflicting two stab wounds on 29-year-old Mr Ede, who later died of his injuries.

Walder denies murdering Mr Ede and her partner Martindale denies one charge of affray relating to the incident.

Mr Pratt told the jury at Lewes Crown Court that the three had known each other for months but that Martindale and Ede had become embroiled in a dispute.

He said: "As far as it has been discovered, they had fallen out. It appears there had been a dispute between them over a Ford Orion motor car.

"Mr Ede had borrowed it from Lewis Martindale or taken it from Lewis Martindale.

"In any event, it is clear that Ede did not return the car to Lewis Martindale. On July 29, some weeks before the incident we are concerned with, Lewis Martindale reported the car as stolen to the police.

"As a result of this complaint to the police, Adrian Ede was arrested by police. This led to bad feeling. As a matter of background, he was never prosecuted for stealing the car, but he was arrested for it."

Mr Pratt said that there were witnesses who reported seeing Mr Ede and Martindale shouting at each other in the period running up to the killing.

He said that on September 2, one witness saw an altercation between the two men after they saw each other in Parsons Close, where Mr Ede knew some friends.

"Mr Ede asked him if he had a problem. Mr Martindale walked past him, swore and and told him: 'You know where I live.'

"Obviously, the temperature between them was getting higher.

"Mr Ede took off his sunglasses, walked over to Mr Martindale in Parsons Close and said, 'Come on then,' This was all two weeks before the murder.

"More words of a threatening nature were used.

"Mr Martindale went into his house in Parsons Close leaving the door ajar but very shortly after that he came back out of his house shouting, 'F*** you'.

"He was holding a black handled carving knife. He took a step towards Mr Ede and he was waving the knife.

"The Crown say that a woman at that time was leaning out of the window of number 7 (the defendant's home).

"She was shouting, 'F*** you, you ****' or similar words and the Crown say that woman can only be Alison Walder."

"When Mr Ede stepped towards the defendant Mr Martindale went back inside his house and that effectively was the end of that incident two weeks before the date of the murder."

Mr Camden Pratt said that on the day Mr Ede was killed he made two visits to see friends living in Parsons Close and it was on the second occasion the altercation broke out.

He said that when Me Ede went into his friend's house after arriving by car, Martindale stood in the porch of his own home.

"Mr Ede had not initially noticed Mr Martindale as he was some distance away in the porch. He seemed to notice him and said, 'What's your problem?'

"Suffice to say, say the Crown, Mr Martindale was waiting outside looking for a confrontation, he had gone outside his house looking for a confrontation and was up for a fight.

"They punched and held each other."

He said shortly after the fight began Walder came out of the house.

He said: "She was carrying a knife. She was seen to be carrying it when she approached the two men.

"Martindale and Ede seemed to separate for a short time and then go back together again with Mr Ede, throwing a punch at Mr Martindale.

"At that stage Walder joined in. It was likely at that stage say the Crown she delivered the first of two stab wounds to the deceased.

"There were two distinct stab wounds. One witness said that Ede then punched her in the face, it is likely say the Crown that was in response to the first stabbing by her.

"Miss Walder then moved towards Ede and struck him a second time. Ede said words to the effect of, 'You f****** bitch.'"

Mr Camden Pratt said that Ede sustained two stab wounds in the shoulder area during the alleged attack by Walder.

He said: "The Crown say this - that even if Alison Walder felt she needed to defend herself or even if she felt she needed to defend her boyfriend Mr Martindale, it is the Crown's case that these two stabbings with a knife could not be, either of them, a responsible or necessary act of defence of herself or her partner.

"The Crown state they were disproportionate and excessive reactions and not lawful justified acts of self defence."

Walder denies murder and Martindale denies affray.