Afternoon:
9°c
Lover ‘battered garden expert to death after sex in woods’
Paul Cheston, Courts Correspondent9 Feb 2010
A gardening expert at the centre of a love triangle was battered to death with a rock after one of her partners found out about the other, the Old Bailey heard today.
Linda Casey, 54, was killed by gardener Peter Ling soon after they had made love in woodland, the jury was told. Her naked body was found covered by leaves, five days after Ling found out about the other man, it is alleged.
Ling, 50, from Wallington, denies committing murder last August.
Mrs Casey, 54, from Coulsdon, taught horticulture at Sutton College of Learning for Adults in Wallington.
John Coffey QC, prosecuting, said: “Mrs Casey's romantic life was not straightforward. She had affairs with two men at the same time. It is clear she kept her two lovers in ignorance of each other.”
As well as Ling, she was seeing Ian Tolfrey. She would meet Mr Tolfrey on her allotment in South Croydon on Wednesdays, and on Fridays they would meet at various homes, the court heard.
On Thursdays and Saturdays she would date Ling. But, said Mr Coffey, she “strongly preferred Mr Tolfrey to the defendant”.
Mrs Casey was estranged from — but still living with — her husband, and had three grown-up daughters, the court heard.
She had become friendly with Ling in 2000 when he had been a student in her classes. Her daughter Emma said her mother regarded Ling as “a nice man who took her out to dinner and visited gardens together”.
But in 2002 she had met Mr Tolfrey and, became “besotted” with him. A week before her death, the court heard, Ling confronted her about her other affair during a visit to the Royal Horticultural Society gardens at Wisley, and accused her of being heartless.
On the day of her death, the pair went for a drink near Banstead Woods. Mr Coffey said: “They walked to a nearby woodland and ... a little way from a footpath nearby they had sexual intercourse. A short while later he struck her repeatedly to the head and face with a rock.”
Mrs Casey suffered “massive damage” to her forehead, face and skull. “The defendant covered the body with leaves and left her there despite the fact she appeared still to be alive,” added Mr Coffey.
“He put her clothing in the branches of a tree, he hid her car nearby and then he made off.”
Her black Vauxhall Corsa was spotted in a car park close to the Ramblers Rest pub in Banstead.
Her body was discovered after she was reported missing by family.
Ling was arrested driving in Somerset after confessing to his wife of 23 years, Deborah, the jury was told. In his car, police found emails from Mr Tolfrey from Mrs Casey's computer.
Ling did not know about the other affair until he read the emails, the court heard.
The case continues.
