KEY POINTS:
The home of an elderly West Auckland woman who was found dead on her couch was "uncomfortably cool" and the lighting so dim it had to be made brighter before ambulance officers could assess her, an Auckland court heard yesterday.
Beryl Campbell, 84, was found dead, seated on the couch at her Frank Evans Place home in Henderson on Friday, February 22.
It was initially thought she had died from natural causes but police later launched a homicide inquiry after receiving new information.
Eleven days later, Mrs Campbell's next-door neighbour, Wayne John Reid, 57, was charged with her murder and burglary. He appeared in the Waitakere District Court for a depositions hearing yesterday.
Giving evidence, St John paramedic Graham Shears said Mrs Campbell was dead when they checked her.
He said the room she was in was so dark the lighting had to be turned up before they could treat her. The room was also "uncomfortably cool".
"The heat pump had been set on cool and we brought this to the attention of the police officers in attendance."
Constable Andrew Lillie, one of the first officers on the scene, told the court police checked the home for signs of an intruder and assessed Mrs Campbell's body for signs of attack, but found nothing of note.
Mrs Campbell's neighbours told him the small red mark they saw on her nose had not been there the day before, he said.
He noted that Mrs Campbell was found with a half-eaten muffin on a plate on the cushion next to her, with a teddy bear alongside it.
"It was like it was the teddy's job to protect the muffin," he said.
Reid's brother, Glen Reid, also gave evidence yesterday but much of what he said was suppressed.
He said his brother had become mentally unwell and in January had left his job of 34 years.
Reid, who is under mental health supervision, sat quietly beside his lawyer, looking through a book containing evidential photos as witnesses were questioned on it.
Crown prosecutor Christine Gordon told the court the Crown alleges Reid went next door to see Mrs Campbell and attacked her.
"During the period that he was there in her flat, the Crown case is that he became enraged with her and placed his hands around her neck and started strangling her."
Reid used a nearby towel to strangle her until there was no sign of life, Ms Gordon said.
"After that he took from her flat two cameras and then returned to his own address. Later on in the day, he went back to Mrs Campbell's apartment wearing gloves and proceeded to wipe various surfaces in order to remove evidence of fingerprints."
The hearing is expected to conclude today.
