Murder-accused 'petrified' cousin, court told

A man accused of murdering his cousin with an axe made her feel "petrified" of him when he "flipped" during a car journey, a court has heard.

Donald Excell, 49, who is on trial at Hove Crown Court, is accused of killing Rita Lambourne, 58, at her home in Bexhill, East Sussex, on 12 February.

Ms Lambourne's daughter Kerry told the jury on Friday that the defendant's "tone changed" when her mother gave him a lift home. He accused her of "all sorts of horrible things that aren't true", and then kicked the side of the car, she said.

Mr Excell, of Seabourne Road in Bexhill, denies murder and possession of a bladed article.

Kerry Lambourne said the defendant and her mother regularly fell out and he would often try to start an argument, including the one in the car.

She told the court that her mother felt frightened and told Mr Excell she wanted nothing more to do with him, before he left a dent in the vehicle's bodywork.

The witness said her mother came to her "devastated and upset".

Earlier Teresa Atkins, a cousin of Mr Excell and Rita Lambourne, told the jury the defendant had "fallen out" with Ms Lambourne.

When prosecutor Simon Gledhill asked if the defendant had expressed any views to her about Ms Lambourne, she replied: "He loved her, he hated her. He was angry with her."

A statement from Ms Lambourne's school friend, Tracey Bull, who saw her the afternoon before she died, was also read to the jury.

Ms Bull described the victim as a "lovely person" who was "the type who would give you the coat off her back".

The trial continues.

Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected] or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.