Simon Bowman murder trial: Accused told mum he'd been stabbed by victim

A man who is on trial for killing his best friend had sent a message to his mother saying he had been stabbed by the victim, jurors have heard.
Simon BowmanSimon Bowman
Simon Bowman

Christopher Graham, 30, is accused of the savage murder of 54-year-old grandfather Simon Bowman who was found dead at his flat in High Street, in Jarrow, on May 14.

Newcastle Crown Court has been told that Mr Bowman's body had been mutilated, with fingers and toes removed in the attack.

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Graham, who denies murder, had lived with Mr Bowman at the time of the killing, jurors have heard.

Police in High Street, Jarrow, as part of a murder investigation.Police in High Street, Jarrow, as part of a murder investigation.
Police in High Street, Jarrow, as part of a murder investigation.

Today, the jury was told that Graham sent a text message to his mother, Julie Graham, in the early hours of May 13 which said: "Sick of Simon, he just stabbed us."

The court heard that Graham said Mr Bowman was trying to get him to "kill people".

The message also said: "Keep this text in case I get murdered."

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Ms Graham's statement, which she gave on May 15, was read to the court by the prosecution in which she said that she did not like her son socialising with Mr Bowman.

She said: "I don't like Simon and I didn't want Christopher to be friends with him.

"I told Christopher that Simon was horrible and a bully but unfortunately Christopher won't listen to me."

She added that she had seen Mr Bowman "hit" her son on a lot of occasions but was scared to say anything to Mr Bowman because of his criminal past.

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Ms Graham said that on Tuesday, May 14, Christopher had gone round to her flat in Washington.

She said: "I remember Christopher taking his t-shirt off when he was downstairs in my flat.

"When Christopher took his top off I saw that he seemed to have some injuries to his body.

"Scratch marks running horizontally to his body.

"I don't remember seeing them before."

She said there was a "fresh wound to one of his upper arms" but she was not sure of the shape of it.

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She added that she didn't mention the marks to her son because she did not want to upset him and said that Graham, of Romney Avenue, Washington, had suffered with mental health problems over the years.

Ms Graham described how just before midnight on May 14 police arrived at her flat and arrested her son.

The trial continues.