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| Tenerife decapitation trial hears killer 'did not look human' | Tenerife decapitation trial hears killer 'did not look human' |
| (30 days later) | |
| A British couple have described the moment they saw a man "who did not look human" decapitate a grandmother in front of them on the Spanish holiday island of Tenerife. | A British couple have described the moment they saw a man "who did not look human" decapitate a grandmother in front of them on the Spanish holiday island of Tenerife. |
| Kenneth and Susan Bennison were giving evidence in the trial of Deyan Deyanov, a homeless Bulgarian drug addict, at the provincial court in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. | Kenneth and Susan Bennison were giving evidence in the trial of Deyan Deyanov, a homeless Bulgarian drug addict, at the provincial court in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. |
| Deyanov, 29, denies murdering Jennifer Mills-Westley in the popular resort of Los Cristianos on the Canary island on 13 May 2011. The 60-year-old, originally from Norwich, was repeatedly stabbed while she was in a Chinese-owned shop near the beach. | Deyanov, 29, denies murdering Jennifer Mills-Westley in the popular resort of Los Cristianos on the Canary island on 13 May 2011. The 60-year-old, originally from Norwich, was repeatedly stabbed while she was in a Chinese-owned shop near the beach. |
| The Bennisons, from Warrington, both broke down in tears when they described how they witnessed the attack from yards away as they shopped during their holidays. | The Bennisons, from Warrington, both broke down in tears when they described how they witnessed the attack from yards away as they shopped during their holidays. |
| Speaking via videolink from the UK, Susan Bennison told the court she had become aware of what was happening when she heard a "very strange noise". | Speaking via videolink from the UK, Susan Bennison told the court she had become aware of what was happening when she heard a "very strange noise". |
| She looked to her right and saw a man kneeling on the ground repeatedly stabbing a lady she had previously passed in the aisle. | She looked to her right and saw a man kneeling on the ground repeatedly stabbing a lady she had previously passed in the aisle. |
| Asked by the defence lawyer Francisco Beltrán whether she had been able to see the man's face, Bennison said she had. | Asked by the defence lawyer Francisco Beltrán whether she had been able to see the man's face, Bennison said she had. |
| "He looked unclean, wild – and he did not look human," she said. | "He looked unclean, wild – and he did not look human," she said. |
| Kenneth Bennison explained that there had been no argument, or words of any kind, between Mills-Westley and her attacker. He told the jury of nine people that Deyanov had looked "quite calm" as he carried out the attack. "We heard her gasp for breath," he said. | Kenneth Bennison explained that there had been no argument, or words of any kind, between Mills-Westley and her attacker. He told the jury of nine people that Deyanov had looked "quite calm" as he carried out the attack. "We heard her gasp for breath," he said. |
| "He withdrew the knife out of her neck and then put it back in again. | "He withdrew the knife out of her neck and then put it back in again. |
| "That's when I got my wife out of the building." | "That's when I got my wife out of the building." |
| Answering questions from the prosecutor, Ángel García Rodríguez, Bennison added: "I wanted to help, but when he pulled the knife out of her neck I realised there was nothing I could do for her." | Answering questions from the prosecutor, Ángel García Rodríguez, Bennison added: "I wanted to help, but when he pulled the knife out of her neck I realised there was nothing I could do for her." |
| Mills-Westley's daughters, Sarah Mills-Westley, 43, from Norwich, and Samantha Mills-Westley, 39, who lives in the Midi-Pyrenees region of France, were in court for the second day of the trial. | Mills-Westley's daughters, Sarah Mills-Westley, 43, from Norwich, and Samantha Mills-Westley, 39, who lives in the Midi-Pyrenees region of France, were in court for the second day of the trial. |
| Samantha Mills-Westley wiped away tears as she listened to the Bennisons' evidence. | Samantha Mills-Westley wiped away tears as she listened to the Bennisons' evidence. |
| Deyanov, wearing a beige jumper and running shoes, shouted, "I am Jesus Christ!" in Bulgarian as a police officer gave evidence. | Deyanov, wearing a beige jumper and running shoes, shouted, "I am Jesus Christ!" in Bulgarian as a police officer gave evidence. |
| Giving evidence on Monday, he told the court he heard voices that told him he was an "angel of Jesus Christ" who would create a new Jerusalem. | Giving evidence on Monday, he told the court he heard voices that told him he was an "angel of Jesus Christ" who would create a new Jerusalem. |
| He has been diagnosed with acute paranoid schizophrenia, and has admitted to having been a user of crack cocaine and LSD. The prosecution is asking for him be sentenced to 20 years in a psychiatric unit. | He has been diagnosed with acute paranoid schizophrenia, and has admitted to having been a user of crack cocaine and LSD. The prosecution is asking for him be sentenced to 20 years in a psychiatric unit. |
| Police officers who attended the scene told on Wednesday of the chaotic scenes when they arrived at the shop. | Police officers who attended the scene told on Wednesday of the chaotic scenes when they arrived at the shop. |
| Identified to the court only by a badge number, one said: "When I arrived, I saw some of my colleagues running towards a kerb, where a security guard was with a restrained person who was covered in blood on the ground. | Identified to the court only by a badge number, one said: "When I arrived, I saw some of my colleagues running towards a kerb, where a security guard was with a restrained person who was covered in blood on the ground. |
| "The security guard said they had seen a head, or something like that. | "The security guard said they had seen a head, or something like that. |
| "When we took him to the car, people started to shout, 'Murderer! Kill him! Hang him!' | "When we took him to the car, people started to shout, 'Murderer! Kill him! Hang him!' |
| "My colleagues put him in the car and took him took him to the police station. | "My colleagues put him in the car and took him took him to the police station. |
| "Until then I had not seen the head, but people were shouting, 'There is a head, there is a head!' And on the kerb opposite there was indeed a head, covered by a blanket." | "Until then I had not seen the head, but people were shouting, 'There is a head, there is a head!' And on the kerb opposite there was indeed a head, covered by a blanket." |
| The trial continues. | The trial continues. |
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