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'Hair-in-hand' murder trial: Woman 'recognised accused' | 'Hair-in-hand' murder trial: Woman 'recognised accused' |
(about 14 hours later) | |
A woman has told a jury how she called BBC1's Crimewatch show after it aired an appeal over the death of a mother whose body was found by her children. | A woman has told a jury how she called BBC1's Crimewatch show after it aired an appeal over the death of a mother whose body was found by her children. |
Claire George saw the TV appeal in 2006, nearly four years after Heather Barnett, 48, was found mutilated in her flat in Bournemouth, Dorset, in 2002. | Claire George saw the TV appeal in 2006, nearly four years after Heather Barnett, 48, was found mutilated in her flat in Bournemouth, Dorset, in 2002. |
She told Winchester Crown Court she believed a man police wanted to trace from CCTV footage was Danilo Restivo. | She told Winchester Crown Court she believed a man police wanted to trace from CCTV footage was Danilo Restivo. |
Mr Restivo, 39, of Chatsworth Road, Bournemouth, denies murder. | Mr Restivo, 39, of Chatsworth Road, Bournemouth, denies murder. |
Ms Barnett's children, Terry, then 14, and Caitlin, then 11, found their mother's mutilated body in the bathroom of their ground-floor flat in Capstone Road on 12 November 2002, with a lock of someone else's hair in her hand. | Ms Barnett's children, Terry, then 14, and Caitlin, then 11, found their mother's mutilated body in the bathroom of their ground-floor flat in Capstone Road on 12 November 2002, with a lock of someone else's hair in her hand. |
'Hair fetish' | 'Hair fetish' |
Mr Restivo, who lived opposite the family, is alleged to have entered the flat and bludgeoned Ms Barnett, a seamstress, with a hammer before cutting her throat. | Mr Restivo, who lived opposite the family, is alleged to have entered the flat and bludgeoned Ms Barnett, a seamstress, with a hammer before cutting her throat. |
The prosecution says Mr Restivo has a hair fetish and left a clump of someone else's hair in Ms Barnett's right hand and some of her own underneath her left hand. | The prosecution says Mr Restivo has a hair fetish and left a clump of someone else's hair in Ms Barnett's right hand and some of her own underneath her left hand. |
Prosecutors, who say the manner in which Ms Barnett was murdered can be considered Mr Restivo's "hallmark", have linked the killing to the murder of a teenager, 16-year-old Elisa Claps, in Potenza, Italy, in 1993. | Prosecutors, who say the manner in which Ms Barnett was murdered can be considered Mr Restivo's "hallmark", have linked the killing to the murder of a teenager, 16-year-old Elisa Claps, in Potenza, Italy, in 1993. |
They say Mr Restivo, an Italian, was also responsible for cutting hair from 15 women or girls while travelling by bus in the Bournemouth area. | They say Mr Restivo, an Italian, was also responsible for cutting hair from 15 women or girls while travelling by bus in the Bournemouth area. |
Ms George told the court she worked in a pharmacy near where Ms Barnett and Mr Restivo were neighbours, and that they were both customers. | Ms George told the court she worked in a pharmacy near where Ms Barnett and Mr Restivo were neighbours, and that they were both customers. |
She told the court she watched Crimewatch on 12 September 2006 because she knew Ms Barnett's death was going to feature. | She told the court she watched Crimewatch on 12 September 2006 because she knew Ms Barnett's death was going to feature. |
'Recognised posture' | 'Recognised posture' |
Ms George was asked by the prosecution what she thought when she saw CCTV footage on the programme of a man leaving Captsone Road at 0924 on the day of Ms Barnett's death. | |
She said she thought it "looks like someone I know, Danilo Restivo". | She said she thought it "looks like someone I know, Danilo Restivo". |
She told the court she recognised a hat he often wore as well as his posture: "If you see someone enough times you can recognise the way they move even without a close-up of the face, I can recognise somebody." | She told the court she recognised a hat he often wore as well as his posture: "If you see someone enough times you can recognise the way they move even without a close-up of the face, I can recognise somebody." |
When asked how confident she was that it was Danilo Restivo, she replied that she was confident enough to call the programme the same evening. | When asked how confident she was that it was Danilo Restivo, she replied that she was confident enough to call the programme the same evening. |
The defence put it to Ms George that she had been influenced by earlier press coverage of the case, which had mentioned Mr Restivo had been arrested. | The defence put it to Ms George that she had been influenced by earlier press coverage of the case, which had mentioned Mr Restivo had been arrested. |
"I don't think so," she said. | "I don't think so," she said. |
She was asked if there were any other suspects she had heard about in relation to the case. | She was asked if there were any other suspects she had heard about in relation to the case. |
"All I've done is identified the CCTV," she replied. | "All I've done is identified the CCTV," she replied. |
Jurors have previously heard from the prosecution that Mr Restivo once lived in Potenza, where teenager Miss Claps disappeared in 1993. | Jurors have previously heard from the prosecution that Mr Restivo once lived in Potenza, where teenager Miss Claps disappeared in 1993. |
The prosecution says Mr Restivo had arranged to meet Miss Claps at the Most Holy Trinity Church on 12 September that year, but she was never seen again. | The prosecution says Mr Restivo had arranged to meet Miss Claps at the Most Holy Trinity Church on 12 September that year, but she was never seen again. |
Her body was discovered in the loft of the church last year. | Her body was discovered in the loft of the church last year. |
The trial continues. | The trial continues. |