Shana Grice murder trial: Accused 'parked near' where she died

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-39293749

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The man accused of murdering teenager Shana Grice was seen parked up near her home at the time police believe she was killed, a court heard.

CCTV footage presented to the jury at Lewes Crown Court appeared to show Michael Lane parked near to the 19-year-old's house around the time she was killed.

Video was taken from homes, shops and 40 separate busses operating in the area at the time.

Mr Lane, 27, denies murder.

Miss Grice was found with her throat slit in her bedroom in Portslade, East Sussex. The room had also been set alight.

The court was told that footage appeared to show Mr Lane leaving his Portslade home in his car at about 07.25 BST on 25 August.

It was claimed the cameras showed him getting out of the car a few minutes later on a road near Miss Grice's house, but he was then not picked up again for approximately half an hour.

The prosecution alleges that, in that time, he killed Miss Grice at her home in Chrisdory Road.

Police believe Miss Grice died sometime between 07:25 and 08:00 based on the fact that she was conducting a text message conversation with a friend.

Statements from emergency service crews who were called to Miss Grices's house on the morning of her death were also read out in court.

Paramedic Michael McHugh described how he got to Miss Grice's house and was greeted by Ian Cooke, the father of Miss Grice's then boyfriend Ashley Cooke.

He said Mr Cooke had already been into the house, having been asked to check up on Shana as she had not arrived at work.

He said to Mr McHugh: "I have been in there, she's dead, there is nothing you can do, you can't go in there it's full of fumes."

Mr McHugh went into the house and noticed a bloody footprint on the doorstep, the court heard.

Miss Grice was found her lying dead on her bed, which had been partially burned along with an area of carpet.

A police crime scene investigator who carried out an examination of Miss Grice's house also said there appeared to be a knife missing from a knife block in the kitchen.

The trial continues.