A man accused of murdering his partner, who died after suffering significant internal injuries caused by a broom handle, denied playing any part in her death and claimed "kids" had beaten her up. The alleged killer told police he fell asleep watching Star Trek and found her lying in bed "cold and dead".
Carl Silcox, 45, denies the murder and manslaughter of Adell Cowan, 43, whose body was discovered by police in his Caerphilly flat in the early hours of October 18, 2020. The defendant had called the police from a phone box and the told the operator: "I just woke up and my missus is dead. I am Carl Silcox. I have just come to the phone box now – I have lost my mobile phone.”
A trial at Cardiff Crown Court previously heard the emergency services attended the flat in Dol Yr Eos, Mornington Meadows, and found Ms Cowan lying on a bed, barefoot and wearing a jacket. There were no signs of life and she was pronounced dead at 12.33am.
Read more: Get the latest court cases sent to your email inbox with our Crime & Punishment newsletter
A post-mortem examination revealed Ms Cowan had sustained serious injuries including a 2.8cm by 1.4cm tear to the rectum which continued to cause a four-and-a-half centimetre tear to the peritoneal lining. She had also sustained a laceration to her spleen and the lining of her pelvis. A broom was found at the scene which contained traces of Ms Cowan's blood and faeces and the defendant's semen.
Silcox, of Commercial Street, Aberbargoed, was arrested on suspicion of Ms Cowan's murder and was taken to Ystrad Mynach custody suite where he was interviewed by police on 10 occasions. Transcripts of the interview between Silcox and detective sergeant Andrew Williams were read out to the court on Friday. He initially claimed he and Ms Cowan had been attacked by a group of youths and later claimed she worked as a prostitute and was fatally injured by a client.
DS Williams said: "Are you responsible for murdering Adell Cowan?" Silcox replied: "No."
In a prepared statement Silcox told police: "I, Carl Silcox, make this statement in relation to an allegation I murdered Adell Cowan, my partner, on October 16, 2020. Me and Adell were on the bench opposite the 7/11 in Bedwas Road and we had both been drinking. A group of youths approached us wanting a drink. Adell told them to p*** off and I stood up but fell and the kids took my phone. I had drank a lot and Adell went out to try and find my phone. She knew some of the youths involved but she returned empty-handed.
"She woke me up and complained about being cold. At 7pm I shouted to her but had no reply. I watched TV and fell asleep. I woke up and went into the bedroom and tried to wake her up . She had her coat on and she was cold to the touch. I shook her and she may have fallen off the bed. I was panicking and had no phone so I went to the phone box and called 999 to seek assistance. I was told to go home and wait for the ambulance and police which I did. I did not kill Adell."
The trial previously heard that both Silcox and Ms Cowan were heavy drinkers and lived a "chaotic lifestyle". As police and paramedics tried to treat Ms Cowan the defendant told a police officer they had both been drinking vodka and cider and he had been drinking Jack Daniel's. He claimed his phone had been taken by the group of youths and he had fallen on his face which caused cuts and bruises. He said when he last saw Ms Cowan alive he did not think she was in pain or had any injuries.
The defendant said Ms Cowan went to the bedroom on October 17 and he fell asleep on the sofa. He woke up and shouted to Ms Cowan but had no response. He began watching Star Trek and fell asleep again before waking up and went to wake Ms Cowan up.
Describing the moment he claimed he found Ms Cowan he said: "I went in and found her hands lying like this (motions) and I thought: 'There's something not right here' and she's freezing, absolutely like ice.... I looked down and I did notice her eye like this (motions) and I thought: 'Adell, food mun, come on' and I noticed she had spit or something and I thought: 'Oh Adell'. I remembered putting my hand like that and she was cold."
Silcox was asked if he tried to help Ms Cowan or perform CPR but he said he went straight to the phone box and called the emergency services. He said he didn't want to go back into the flat and waited until the police arrived before going back in.
Police asked the defendant if he and Ms Cowan had had sex recently and he said they were intimate on October 16. The interviewing officer asked: "Did you put anything else inside Adell? Have you inserted anything inside Adell?" Silcox replied: "No."
In a later prepared statement Silcox claimed Ms Cowan worked as a prostitute and would stay with him for a fortnight at a time before going out to earn more money. He said: "She would perform sex acts on me and I would have sex with her so she could repay the debt. I believe she got those injuries from a client. I have not caused any of her injuries." The trial continues.
READ NEXT:
-
'Depraved' man drew thousands of pictures of babies being raped and children being sexually abused
-
Couple found with up to £1,500 worth of cocaine while driving
-
Cannabis factory with 271 plants found after drugs smelt through letterbox
Man arrested in connection with Tomasz Waga murder found to have entered UK illegally
You can sign up to our regular Crime and Punishment newsletter here while this interactive tool allows you to check the latest crime statistics for your area:
