The body of a dogwalker was so badly mutilated it looked as if he had been attacked by his own pet, a court has heard.
Peter Wrighton, 83, was killed when walking his two dogs near East Harling, Norfolk, last year and had his body dragged under a bramble bush.
Defendant Alexander Palmer, 24, who has admitted to being in the area at the time of the attack, denies murdering the pensioner.
Mr Palmer told medical professionals he heard a voice in his head called ‘Little Alex’ who told him to harm or kill people.
Peter Wrighton, 83 with one of his dogs. Peter was killed in East Harling, Norfolk in a wooded area on August 5, 2017
On the same day as Mr Wrighton’s death, fellow dogwalker Peter Bibby said he identified Palmer on social media following widespread coverage.
Mr Bibby said: ‘I woke up in the middle of the night and kept looking on various websites to see if there was any news.
‘I saw his name and thought as he is a young lad he probably has a Facebook page. I found one straight away.’
The woman who discovered Mr Wrighton’s body broke down as she gave evidence at Nottingham Crown Court today.
Anne Precious was out walking her dogs with her husband Nigel when she noticed the body.
She said: ‘I thought he had fallen over at first and I assumed he was the owner of the dogs.
‘I did bend down initially and I was going to help him get up. But then I saw the injury and I was pretty sure he was dead.’
Peter Wrighton (left) was killed in August last year. Alexander Palmer (right) denies murder
Peter Wrighton’s car near the woods in East Harling, Norfolk
Police Constable Andrew London said the wound on Mr Wrighton’s throat was so severe it looked as if parts were missing.
The Norfolk Police officer said: ‘I had never seen anything like it.
‘It was such a strange injury, I thought has he been attacked by his own dog?’
PC London said there was a ‘very large pool of blood’ across the track which was around two foot in diameter.
Mr Precious, who dialled 999 after finding the body with his wife, said: ‘First thing I saw was a pair of legs and then a body.
‘There was a large open wound on the neck and a lot of blood on the other side of the path.
Police and forensic officers at a property in Bawdeswell Norfolk where 24-year-old Alexander Palmer was detained by police
‘I think I was a little bit in shock, I first thought it was a mannequin.
‘Reality dawned and I realised it was a body, as I described it was dead straight.’
Palmer, of Bawdeswell, Norfolk, denies a single charge of murder.
The trial, set to last for two to three weeks, continues.
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