Friend saw suspect hit prostitute

A FRIEND of murder suspect Darren Brown today told a court how he had seen him punch a prostitute in Alderman Road, Ipswich.

Danzell Hurd was called as a witness at Ipswich Crown Court today on the second day of the murder trial linked to the death of prostitute Cara Martin-Brown.

Mr Hurd had been out with Brown, who has been charged with killing the 25-year-old, on the night before her death. The pair had been together since 1pm on December 22 and spent around 10 hours together, according to Mr Hurd.

Mr Hurd told the court they had been to various pubs in the town but had returned to his grandmother's house in Alderman Road at about 11.30pm.

The pair went inside the end-terraced house, where three of Mr Hurd's brothers and two of their friends were inside.

At about 11.40pm Brown and Mr Hurd walked outside the house and started talking.

It was then the pair saw Miss Martin-Brown, of Hawthorn Drive, Ipswich, walking on the other side of the road.

Mr Hurd told the jury, of six men and six women, he then saw Brown punch the prostitute in the head.

He said: "I saw the a woman who crossed the road. She was white and had a white jacket. Darren walked past her and they talked for a couple of minutes. I couldn't hear what they were saying.

"Then I saw Darren punch her in the head. Then I saw her fall to the floor. Her legs sort of buckled. I called him an idiot and started shouting at him.

"I said something like 'why are you doing stuff like that outside my house?'"

Mr Hurd went back inside the house but went back outside about 20 minutes later and saw Brown standing at the same spot.

He said: "There was a jacket on the floor near Darren. I was a bit suspicious I suppose. I couldn't see the woman. I started shouting at him again. I said 'look where is she?' and he said she had walked off. He was saying something but I wasn't really listening."

Miss Martin-Brown died from severe head injuries at about 1pm on December 23.

The trial continues.