David Browning is accused of murdering his boss after accusing her of workplace bullying
A university worker who became obsessed with his boss stabbed her to death after posting a message online that bullies should be killed, a court heard.
David Browning, 52, launched furious attack on Jill Howell stabbing her 15 times and then scrawling ‘bully’ across her forehead in marker pen, a jury has heard.
Then as she lay dead in the lounge of her own home, Browning posted allegedly an image on his Facebook profile which said: ‘Stand Up To Bullies. Then Kill Them’.
The image shows small figure using a spear to stab a larger one in the chest. Underneath in smaller print is says: ‘Words are Weapons.’
Browning then went to a police station and handed himself in, confessing to officers: ‘In a nutshell, I have killed my boss,’ the court heard.
Hove Crown Court heard Browning claimed Miss Howell, 46, was a bully who had turned his working life into a nightmare.
Browning, who is married with two grown-up children, had worked at the payroll department in University of Brighton for almost 30 years.
But in 2015 Jill Howell was employed as his manager and the pair had to work closely together.
The court heard he posted this image on Facebook after killing his boss Jill Howell
In the months leading up to the killing, Miss Howell, who also worked as a volunteer for the Samaritans, had been trying to help her colleague as he was suffering from stress and anxiety following the death of his father.
They had met for drinks and Browning had become obsessed with her, showering her with gifts and flowers, the court hearrd.
On the night of the stabbing Miss Howell had invited Browning to her home in Brighton for a curry and a chat.
But during the evening he launched a ferocious attack on her, repeatedly stabbing her with a 10cm lock knife, the jury were told.
Miss Howell had invited Browning to her home on the night of the stabbing
The court heard Browning had intended to kill himself afterwards using a shotgun he had bought legally weeks earlier and had sent a number of suicide letters to friends and family earlier that day.
In the notes he said Miss Howell was a ‘bully’ who turned his working life upside down.
In a letter to his wife and two children he said going to work each day was like ‘walking into a war zone’ and claimed he had been endured ‘daily suffering and stress from my workmate Jill.’
In a letter to his mother he said: ‘I was just overcome with negatives and felt I had no way out. I have rid the place of a really horrible person who is the cause of all this.’
In another letter to colleagues he branded Miss Howell ‘destructive’ and told them: ‘I’m sorry you have to go through this but can no longer tolerate the belittling of you all by Jill.
‘It’s been gut-wrenching and disturbing. Of course this was the wrong thing to do but it was getting worse, I was fed up of working as her slave rather than her colleague.’
However at 4.30am he called the Samaritans from Miss Howell’s house and confessed to the killing, prosecutors say.
He told the volunteer he had’ ‘done something really, really bad’ and planned to shoot himself.
Browning had worked at the payroll department in University of Brighton for almost 30 years
Samaritans volunteer Barbara Smith [not her real name] told the court: ‘He said that the person was his boss and she had been bullying him.
‘He said he had gone to talk to her and he was about to leave and she said something and he had lost it.’
The jury were played a recording of 999 call during which Browning told the call handler: ‘I need to be sectioned on Mental Health Act. I’ve got shotgun in my hand.
‘It’s not loaded and it’s covered. No ammunition in it. I’ll be sectioned under the Mental Health. I tried to commit suicide.’
When officer attended he told them: ‘I wanted to kill myself but I’ve killed someone else instead.’
In the body-worn footage recorded at the time he told officers the knife used in the killing was in his top pocket.
He told officers: ‘In a nutshell I’ve killed my boss. My intention was to kill myself, to shoot myself but I couldn’t do it.’
At 6.20am Browning was arrested on suspicion of murder.
He admits manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility but denies murder. His trial continues.
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