A WOMAN accused of attacking another woman with a knife has told the jury her account of what happened on the night of the attack.
Kathryn Llewellyn, 43, of Golwg y Mynydd in Godrergraig, and Teresa Morgan-Peters, 45, of Dolfain in Ystradgynlais, both deny charges of burglary, wounding with intent, and having a bladed article/knife in a public place, following an incident in the early hours of November 1 last year which left a woman in hospital with several knife wounds.
Morgan-Peters denied a further charge of a bladed article/knife in a public place, but admitted unlawful wounding, which Llewellyn denies.
Giving evidence at Swansea Crown Court, Llewellyn said she went to Morgan-Peters’ late in the afternoon on October 31, and her partner at the time, Gregory Morgan, joined them later.
David Leathley, representing Llewellyn asked if they discussed the complainant, or whether Llewellyn was “getting worked up”, both of which she denied. She also denied knowing exactly where the complainant lived.
She said she drunk “two and a half Strongbow dark fruit cans”.
“Me and Greg went up to bed about 12.30am,” she said.
“During the time you were in bed, were you aware of any comings or goings from Teresa’s house?,” Mr Leathley asked.
“No, I wasn’t,” said Llewellyn.
Mr Leathley asked when she became aware of the incident, to which Llewellyn said Mr Morgan had a call the following day saying something had happened, and they found out more from “a boy outside” Morgan-Peters’ house when they returned there on November 1.
When asked why her DNA was found on a panda mask in the complainant’s flat, Llewellyn said: “I just put it on and made a video call to my daughter. Just messing around.”
She was also asked about her DNA being found on a plastic bottle which was allegedly used to throw bleach at the complainant.
“I’d either drank out of the bottle or moved the bottle when in Teresa’s house,” she said.
When cross-examined by Nicola Powell, representing Morgan-Peters, Llewellyn said: “For some reason the DNA has been wiped off it and my DNA is still on the rim.”
Ms Powell asked if she had been to the complainant’s home.
“I’ve never been to that place. If I had my DNA would be there,” she said.
“Your DNA was there,” said Ms Powell. “It was on the mask. It was on the bottle of bleach that was used.”
Llewellyn claimed that Morgan-Peters had threatened to “slice [her] face” if she mentioned her name to the police while the pair were in prison.
Ms Powell said Llewellyn was made aware in her final police interview – before this alleged threat – that Morgan-Peters had told the police she was involved, and alleged that Llewellyn had labelled her co-defendant “a grass” in prison.
“Why call her a grass rather than a liar?,” she asked.
“If she was lying, wouldn’t you call her a liar? A grass is more serious. It is someone telling the police information about a criminal offence.
“Is that why you have been calling Teresa Morgan-Peters a grass? Because you know she’s been telling the police exactly what you did that night?”
“No,” replied Llewellyn.
Ms Powell asked Llewellyn: “You had no idea on that day (October 31, 2022) there had been any messages at all between Greg Morgan and [the complainant]?
“No,” the defendant replied.
Ms Powell then read out a message from Mr Morgan to Llewellyn from 8.18am on October 31.
‘You up? I’ve got a message off [the complainant] for you babe,’ it read.
Ms Powell also read out a Facebook message from Mr Morgan to Llewellyn from 8.08am that day.
‘Ring when up. [The complainant] messaged me about you,’ it read.
Ms Powell said screenshots were sent to Llewellyn from Mr Morgan at 8.43am, 8.45am, and just before 9.03am, when the pair had a 24 minute video call.
“What was discussed in those 20 minutes? Not the weather was it?,” Ms Powell said.
She added that after the video call, Mr Morgan messaged Llewellyn telling her he had told the complainant to go and see Llewellyn and “knock her door”.
“I don’t know what that’s about,” said Llewellyn.
Ms Powell put to Llewellyn that, when at Morgan-Peters’ home, she was calling the complainant a “f****** b****” and said she was “going to kick her f****** head in”.
She asked Llewellyn about Google searches made on her phone at 2.59am on November 1 about how long fingerprints lasted on plastic bags and on plastic surfaces.
“They were found on my phone, yes,” the defendant said. “It’s a set up.”
The trial was again delayed – this time until 2pm – as the defendants’ prison transport arrived late in Swansea.
“Tomorrow I expect the defendants in court for 10.30am,” said Judge Geraint Walters. “No later.
“If they are not, then a senior manager of Serco must get in the van with the defendants, or come separately, to explain to me the difficulties in getting here.
“That’s a court order.
“The court has lost three half days which frankly is a long time.
“It just goes to show they do not care.”
After the judge criticised Serco on Friday for two days of delays, a spokesman for the company said: “We always regret those infrequent occasions such as this when there are delays, but delivering prisoners to Swansea Crown Court from HMP Eastwood Park, near Wotton-under-Edge, which is the only female prison in the region, is typically a journey of over two hours and presents several significant logistical and administrative challenges.”
The trial continues.
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