Court told of 'frenzy of slashing'.

Colin Adwent

IPSWICH: Shortly after stabbing and slashing a hair stylist to death, Rodney Greenland was aghast he had carried out the frenzied attack, a murder jury heard.

Ipswich Crown Court heard a first-hand account by the 47-year-old of how he snapped - plunging a knife with an eight-inch blade into Simon Amers seven times - because he was pestering Greenland for sex.

Greenland, of Manchester Road, Ipswich, admits he killed the 36-year-old at Mr Amers' home in Widgeon Close, Ipswich, in late July last year.

However, he has denied murdering Mr Amers, who died naked and face down in the hall of his blood-spattered flat. The court heard it is likely he was attacked in his lounge, kitchen, and even as he lay dying at the foot of the stairs.

The men had gone back to Mr Amers' home after meeting for the first time while out drinking on July 27. Greenland, who said he was sexually abused at school as a child, claims the pair were sitting on Mr Amers' sofa when the hair stylist twice put his hand on Greenland's thigh.

The court heard a transcript of a police interview shortly after Greenland's arrest in which he said he had pushed Mr Amers away before going to the kitchen.

While there, Greenland, who had been drinking, picked up a knife on the draining board.

Greenland told police he had flashbacks to his school days when Amers came up behind him and put a hand on his right shoulder to spin him around.

In his statement to officers, Greenland recalled: “I can remember lunging twice at him. I don't think he had his shirt on still because I could see the hole in his chest where he was stabbed.”

Mr Amers sustained deep wounds just below his chest bone. Greenland said he believed the knife went in a long way “because I thought it was going to break”.

He added: “Then I remember there was a frenzy of slashing.”

Mr Amers sustained wounds to his chest and abdomen. He was also slashed in the throat.

Greenland tried to check Mr Amers' pulse while he lay at the bottom of the stairs, but was not sure whether he was dead or alive.

The court heard he then went upstairs to Mr Amers' bedroom where he discarded his blood-drenched socks and wrapped carrier bags around his feet so his shoes would not be covered in blood when he put them back on.

Greenland then said he had to push Mr Amers' body out of the way so he could leave the flat at around 1am on July 28.

Shortly afterwards, he thought: “What the **** have I done. How did I push myself to this far?.”

Expert witness, Joanna Caveille, a forensic scientist, told the court she believed Mr Amers could have been attacked in the kitchen.

He then went into this lounge, followed by his bedroom, back into the lounge and had finally fallen downstairs into the hallway where he died.

The trial continues.