'Bloody handprint' in death flat

POLICE arrested a man for murder after discovering the imprint of a hand in diluted blood on a wall in the flat where a disabled victim had been beaten to death, a jury heard yesterday.

Andrew Robertson, QC, prosecuting, told Leeds Crown Court that the finding of the palm print of Ricky Gelardo in the home of Alan Atkin moved the inquiry in his direction.

“It would seem just after attacking Mr Atkin the defendant attempted to wash blood from his hand but hadn’t done so properly and had leaned against the wall,” he said.

He told the jury Mr Atkin, 62, who was in poor health and confined to a wheelchair, was subjected to a violent assault in his Scarborough home early on Friday, April 16 but his body was only found five days later.

According to Karen Stubbings, a woman at whose home Gelardo was staying, they had called at the flat in Swan Court, Swan Hill Road, and found Mr Atkin in bed.

Mr Robertson said it was the Crown’s case Gelardo suddenly began punching Mr Atkin who ended up on the floor. Later examination of his body suggested he was then kicked and stamped on.

A pathologist found 18 marks of injury to his head and face with underlying fractures of the facial bones and 11 to the torso mainly bruising and lacerations. he had multiple rib fractures and his spleen had been lacerated.

“It was a combination of all these injuries that caused Mr Atkin’s death. In other words he was beaten to death.”

Gelardo, 29, denies murdering Mr Atkin between April 15-22.

The jury heard he was on bail from a court on condition he stay out of Darlington and was living at the time at the home of Karen Stubbings in Lismore Road, Scarborough, who was a friend of his mother’s.

Mr Robertson said Mr Atkin would not have died immediately. He would have been unconscious but probably have taken more than an hour to die.

However his body was only found on April 21 by two female acquaintances.

A murder inquiry was launched and a neighbour said around 3.30am on April 16 he heard a woman’s voice near the entrance to the flats and two sets of footsteps going upstairs.

He then heard a bang as though someone had fallen out of bed and a woman screaming “Stop it, Stop it.”

Mr Robertson said the prosecution would say that was Karen Stubbings trying to stop Gelardo attacking Mr Atkin. Things then went quiet and he heard footsteps running away.

He said police arrested Gelardo after the discovery of the palm print. He was out on the evening of April 15 with Karen Stubbings and her partner Keith Raper. After Mr Raper went home the other two went to visit Mr Atkin because she believed her sister was staying with him but she had moved out.

Mr Robertson said Karen Stubbings said they were given a drink of cider by Mr Atkins who was sitting in bed. Gelardo suddenly launched an attack on him which left the victim on the floor.

She had tried to stop him and had propped up Mr Atkin against some drawers. Gelardo then appeared with a knife but when she grabbed it he let go and she threw it on to the bed before they left.

Mr Robertson told the jury the Crown would say Gelardo tried to lie when questioned by police, suggesting two other men who were responsible.

His position now at trial was that he was not responsible for the attack but was blaming Karen Stubbings.

She told the jury in evidence it was Gelardo who was responsible for the violence.

Under cross-examination by Franz Muller, QC, defending Gelardo, she agreed she had a record for violence and dishonesty but denied she was the attacker.

The trial continues.