Caerphilly Woman stabbed man in heart then told ex-partner 'I've murdered someone'

A woman who was high on drugs and alcohol stabbed her mother's neighbour in the heart with a kitchen knife, before calling her former boyfriend and telling him "I've just murdered someone", a court was told.

Rebecca Louise Press, 31, from Caerphilly is accused of killing Richard Marc Ash, 57, at an address in New Tredegar in July last year.

She is also charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm after she headbutted her mother Michelle Press, just minutes before fatally stabbing the victim.

Press was high on drugs and alcohol when she attacked Mr Ash, Cardiff Crown Court heard on Monday.

She admits to stabbing Mr Ash and assaulting her mother but denies the charges against her claiming her actions were in self-defence.

Prosecutor Jonathan Rees KC, told the jury: "Just after 1.15am on Sunday, July 17, 2022, the defendant Rebecca Press left her ex-boyfriend Ashley Allen a voicemail message.

"In it she said 'Ash, it's really bad. It's really f******* bad. I've just stabbed someone and killed them. I've just murdered someone, please phone me back'.

"Indeed, the prosecution says minutes earlier Rebecca Press had picked up a knife and stabbed Richard Marc Ash with it just above his heart.

"Mr Ash, known as Marc, was unarmed," Mr Rees added.

"The full depth of the stab wound almost exactly matched the full length of the blade up to the handle - some 7.5cm - and had plunged into Mr Ash's chest and pierced what's called the aortic arch."

Mr Rees told the court that the injury led Mr Ash to suffer a cardiac arrest from loss of blood and die.

Mr Ash was described as the "best friend" of Ms Press, the defendant's mother, and he had spent most of July 16 with the two women and a number of other neighbours drinking and watching rugby in Ms Press's garden.

Later that evening the defendant said she wanted to go to the pub and Mr Ash said he would accompany her.

At the pub, Press became aggressive and followed Mr Ash when he left to walk back to her mother's house.

Prosecution say that once back at the house, an argument flared between the defendant and her brother Gavin Press during which she headbutted her mother, causing her an injury to her nose.

Ms Press rang the police from her bedroom and shortly afterwards Mr Ash also rang 999.

Officers arrived at the property just minutes later but Mr Ash had already been stabbed and Ms Press was on the phone to the ambulance service.

Mr Rees said: "Throughout that time, the defendant, who was drinking and had taken drugs, was behaving more and more erratically, eventually headbutting her mother to the nose causing a cut.

He added: "When Marc Ash tried to calm the defendant down he paid the price with his life,".

In the call to police, which was played to the jury, Mr Ash said: "It's all kicking off here at the moment.

"I'm in my neighbour's house.

"There are two people who are not wanted in here and they have assaulted people."

Press allegedly burst into her mother's bedroom after stabbing Mr Ash, telling her: "I've f****** stabbed your best friend."

Mr Ash was confirmed dead at around 2am.

Meanwhile, Press had fled the house and was hiding in an overgrown area a short distance away.

She called her ex-boyfriend's mother and told her she had killed someone.

However, when she was eventually spotted by police and arrested on suspicion of murder she "feigned surprise", asking officers: "Have I murdered someone?"

The court heard a health care professional who examined Press at the police station commented how she was shocked at how "oddly calm and jovial" she was.

Tests revealed the next day that Press had benzodiazepines in her system as well as MDMA, also known as ecstasy, and traces of THC a chemical found in cannabis.

She gave a prepared statement to detectives, which was read to the court and claimed Mr Ash had become "aggressive" towards her despite normally being a "chilled and mellow character".

She said: "I picked up the closest item to me which was the knife and hit him with it.

"I didn't intend to stab him in the chest but I accept that is what I did.

"I had no intention to kill Mark I was acting in self defence.

"Mark is a six foot plus man and a lot bigger and stronger than me.

"I was genuinely in fear for my safety."

The trial continues.