IPSWICH: A teenage boy told a court how he saw a woman covered in blood shortly before a pair allegedly murdered her.

The 16-year-old, who can not be named because of his age, told a jury at Ipswich Crown Court he had seen Rosalyn Hunt at the flat of Paul Clarke in Mountbatten Court, Ipswich in August last year.

Clarke, 41, a 15-year-old girl who can not be named, and John Grimwood, 28, of Canham Street, all deny murdering Mrs Hunt, of Victoria Street, Ipswich.

The boy told the court that he had gone to Clarke’s flat after friends told him that Mrs Hunt was being held hostage there.

He said: “I was told that Rose (Mrs Hunt) had been beaten with a dog chain and was being kicked.

“I went over to the flat to see if it was true. A man opened the door – I’m not sure who it was – but I could hear people shouting and talking in the background.

“Then I saw Rose in the doorway. She looked battered. It looked as if she had been beaten up.

“She had blood on her face and in her hair. There were a couple of cuts on her face and a couple on her forehead.

“I asked the man what he was doing – but he told me to go away.”

The court had previously heard how a 17-year-old witness had been told that Clarke and the 15-year-old girl were holding Mrs Hunt hostage because she had hit Clarke’s dog.

When the 17-year-old entered Clarke’s flat she claimed that the 15-year-old girl hit Mrs Hunt in the face with a dog chain and went on to kick her “about 12 times”.

Clarke and the 15-year-old also deny murdering Des Thorpe, 43, whose body was found in a flat in Limerick Close on August 10 last year.

It has been alleged that Mr Thorpe was killed because he threatened to tell police what had happened to Mrs Hunt.

The trial continues.