METRO
A father is accused of murdering his wife’s lover with his son after they found him hiding in a wardrobe at home.
Matthew Rodwell, 39, was said to be ‘terrified about being found’ by Wayne, 49, and Riley Peckham, 23, and placed a frantic 999 call after they forced their way into Kerry Peckham’s home, Norwich Crown Court heard.
Mrs Peckham tried to get her son Riley to leave after he climbed in through a window, but he called out ‘he’s here’ after finding Mr Rodwell in the cupboard.
Prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones said Riley told him ‘You’re going to die’ before his father joined him in the house.
Mrs Peckham says she heard a struggle break out upstairs and tried to ‘block’ Wayne going upstairs, the jury was told.
But the court heard Wayne ‘barged’ past and a tussle broke out, before Mr Rodwell and Mrs Peckham both fell down the stairs.
Wayne then began ‘kicking, stamping and punching’ Mr Rodwell to ‘his body and face’, the prosecutor said.
Mrs Peckham was also struck as she tried to prevent the attack by placing her body on top of Mr Rodwell, the jury was told.
Ms Karmy-Jones said Mr Rodwell had ‘over 40 significant injuries as a result of the attack that was inflicted upon him.’
He was pronounced dead at the scene, with a post-mortem later revealing he had died as a result of strangulation.
Police arriving at the scene said they could hear ‘screaming’ coming from inside, and saw the body of Mr Rodwell lying in the hall after a distraught Mrs Peckham opened the door.
Wayne was detained at the scene after initially trying to hide behind a curtain, while Riley escaped in handcuffs, the court heard.
