Alleged double-murderer 'had fentanyl in bag when arrested'

An IT worker accused of fatally poisoning a wealthy married couple with fentanyl had patches of the opioid painkiller in a rucksack with him when he was arrested, a trial has heard.

Luke D'Wit, 34, is accused of murdering Stephen Baxter, 61, and his wife Carol, 64, and rewriting their will.

Their daughter Ellie found the couple dead at their home in West Mersea, Essex on Easter Sunday last year.

D'Wit, of West Mersea, denies the murders and is currently on trial at Chelmsford Crown Court.

The court heard that Luke D'Wit became "Carol Baxter's carer, looking after her and giving her medication."

Tracy Ayling KC, prosecuting, said a bag found on D'Wit when he was arrested contained fentanyl patches, opened and unopened.

She questioned whether it was "possible to believe his Adidas bag at work contained fentanyl patches he was taking to the pharmacy” following the death of his father in 2021.

The barrister said quadruple doses of promethazine were also found, describing them as "made-up pills with four times the amount of promethazine as normal".

"There can only be one purpose for having these and that’s to fool someone into believing they were taking a proper dose when they were actually taking four times the amount,” said Ms Ayling.

The trial continues, with the defence closing speech due to be heard on Monday.

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