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| Man 'executed' wife, mother-in-law and dog, court hears | Man 'executed' wife, mother-in-law and dog, court hears |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A man shot his estranged wife, mother-in-law and pet dog with a stolen automatic rifle in an execution-style killing, a court has heard. | A man shot his estranged wife, mother-in-law and pet dog with a stolen automatic rifle in an execution-style killing, a court has heard. |
| Craig Savage, 35, is accused of killing Michelle Savage, 32, and Heather Whitbread, 53, in Bexhill Road, St Leonards, East Sussex, on 16 March. | Craig Savage, 35, is accused of killing Michelle Savage, 32, and Heather Whitbread, 53, in Bexhill Road, St Leonards, East Sussex, on 16 March. |
| Mrs Savage had been shot six times and her mother around seven times in a "planned execution", Lewes Crown Court was told. | Mrs Savage had been shot six times and her mother around seven times in a "planned execution", Lewes Crown Court was told. |
| Mr Savage denies two counts of murder. | Mr Savage denies two counts of murder. |
| He also denies possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. | He also denies possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. |
| Benjamin Aina, prosecuting, said: "He carried out the shooting because he had been rejected by his wife. They had separated about a month before the shooting and he was desperate for a reconciliation. | Benjamin Aina, prosecuting, said: "He carried out the shooting because he had been rejected by his wife. They had separated about a month before the shooting and he was desperate for a reconciliation. |
| "One of the entry wounds on each woman was accompanied by a muzzle mark. This indicates that the firearm was pressed fairly close to each woman and discharged in an execution-type manner." | "One of the entry wounds on each woman was accompanied by a muzzle mark. This indicates that the firearm was pressed fairly close to each woman and discharged in an execution-type manner." |
| The court heard Mr Savage, of no fixed address, had bombarded his estranged wife with text messages, threatened her with revenge porn, and had poured paint on family cars. | The court heard Mr Savage, of no fixed address, had bombarded his estranged wife with text messages, threatened her with revenge porn, and had poured paint on family cars. |
| About a week before the killings, on Mrs Savage's birthday, he slashed the tyres on her car, the jury was told. | About a week before the killings, on Mrs Savage's birthday, he slashed the tyres on her car, the jury was told. |
| Mr Savage was described as a "very controlling person" with the "attitude of a teenager" during their nine-year relationship. | |
| He would bombard his wife with phone calls and texts, wanting to know where she was and who she was with, Mr Aina said. | |
| He was also "horrible" to her dog and the "last straw in the relationship" was when he was found "pinning" it to the ground, jurors were told. | |
| 'Cop-assisted suicide' | 'Cop-assisted suicide' |
| Following the break-up, Mr Savage was accused by his wife of trying to "control every last interaction", and she repeatedly said she did not want to see him anymore. | |
| The court heard he threatened to kill himself, wrongly accused her of giving him a sexually transmitted disease and demanded she hand over lingerie and sex toys so that he could burn them. | |
| Mr Aina said Mr Savage's defence was likely to be that the shooting was a "complete accident" and the gun went off accidentally after he tripped during a struggle with Mrs Savage. | |
| Mr Savage claimed he had planned to kidnap her and have police shoot him in front of her in a "cop-assisted suicide", Mr Aina told the court. | Mr Savage claimed he had planned to kidnap her and have police shoot him in front of her in a "cop-assisted suicide", Mr Aina told the court. |
| The jury was told Mrs Savage's grandmother and her younger, pregnant sister were hiding in the house to escape the shooting and were not hurt. | The jury was told Mrs Savage's grandmother and her younger, pregnant sister were hiding in the house to escape the shooting and were not hurt. |
| The court was told after the shooting, Mr Savage pointed the rifle at a police officer, but the mechanism had become jammed and the gun did not fire. | The court was told after the shooting, Mr Savage pointed the rifle at a police officer, but the mechanism had become jammed and the gun did not fire. |
| Mr Savage has pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing a firearm. | Mr Savage has pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing a firearm. |
| The jury was shown the M4 semi-automatic .22 calibre rifle and told that Savage admitted robbery after stealing it "by force" with ammunition from a firing range. | |
| The case continues. | The case continues. |