Alleged killer denies drowning Malton woman in River Derwent

Lisa Welford, 49, was pulled out of the River Derwent in Malton with a broken thigh bone and other injuries on April 24 this year, said Craig Hassall KC.

She had suffered irreversible brain injury and died later in hospital.

CCTV had filmed her walking normally from Malton bus station closely followed by alleged murderer Vincent Morgan, 47, less than three hours before she went into the river.

Lisa Welford (Image: Family)

“The only credible explanation we, the prosecution say, is that Lisa’s injuries were sustained in the context of yet another deliberate assault on her at the hands of Morgan. That deliberate assault resulted in her being submerged in the River Derwent where she was drowned,” said Mr Hassall at Leeds Crown Court.

Morgan had been forbidden to have any contact with her under a domestic violence protection order made at York Magistrates' Court three weeks earlier to protect her from violence by him and there was a long history of Morgan being violent to her, the court heard.

The River Derwent in Malton. The riverside path is on the right hand bank (Image: Google Street View)

Morgan had previously tried to throw an earlier partner into the River Derwent from the bridge next to the bus station “only yards from where Lisa drowned having entered the river in circumstances Morgan cannot or will not explain,” alleged Mr Hassall.

Morgan, of Castlegate, Malton, denies murdering Lisa and two charges of causing her actual bodily harm in other incidents.

Mr Hassall alleged Lisa told police on April 4 Morgan had grabbed her ponytail and pulled out hair leaving a bald patch on her head six weeks earlier and had also broken one of her teeth.

Following her death, a pathologist found injuries on her neck indicating she had been strangled without being killed at least nine months before her death and other old injuries.

Friends and colleagues had been concerned about Morgan being violent towards Lisa for some time, alleged Mr Hassall.

Opening the prosecution, the barrister said the two had been in a relationship for some years.

He played CCTV of Morgan and Lisa taking a bus from York to Malton on April 24. They arrived at Malton Bus Station at 8.30pm and walked to a path next to the bus station which goes along the river bank where they stayed together alone for two and a half hours.

The entrance to the riverside path (Image: Google Street View) Both were heavy drinkers. A test carried out on Lisa after her death showed her to have been more than four times the drink drive limit and a vodka bottle was found under a bench by the river where both had been sitting and presumably drinking in the hours before the drowning.

At 11.05pm a pub worker walking home along the river path came across them on the bank between the bench and the bridge. Lisa was lying on the ground “inches” from the water with her feet towards the path, claimed the barrister.

Morgan told the pubworker not to call police, so she called her ex-partner. 

The atmosphere changed, alleged Mr Hassall, Morgan shouted “she’s in the water” and asked the pub worker to call 999.

Her ex-partner, who had arrived within minutes, went into the water to try and rescue Lisa, who was a foot below the surface, alleged Mr Hassall.

Morgan and a police officer also went into the water and Lisa was pulled out.

Her heart had stopped. Paramedics resuscitated her but she died in hospital.

The trial continues.