Hull university student Libby Squire seen crying and upset moments before disappearance, murder trial hears

Miss Squire, a philosophy student, vanished in the early hours of February 1, 2019, after enjoying a night out with friends in Hull. Her body was found in the Humber six weeks later.

Pawel Relowicz, formerly of Raglan Street, Hull, is currently on trial accused of her rape and murder.

The trial, which has entered its second week, today heard from a number of witnesses who had seen Miss Squire "vulnerable and upset" close to her home in Wellesley Avenue.

Hannah Wright, who lived on the same street as Miss Squire recalled how she heard a female crying and sobbing at around 11.30pm on January 31, 2019.

She said: "I went to the front door, opened it and stepped out and could see a female, who was obviously distressed, sat with her back to my window.

"I couldn’t really identify what she was saying. I bent down to give her my hand as it was slippy. She took it, I helped her up. I bought her into the hallway just inside the front door.

“I was joined by my two housemates. All three tried to speak to her to see if she needed help, if she had any friends we could call. She looked disorientated but had no visible injuries. We did not establish her name despite asking, or her address. What we were able to establish was that she was upset about her friend moving out."

Miss Wright explained how the woman asked to leave and they opened the door for her.

She said: "We asked if we could do anything to get her home. She turned left towards Beverley Road. We were all a bit shocked and hoped she’d be alright. The following day I looked at Facebook and saw an image of the missing girl and was 90 per cent sure it was the girl from the night before.

“I sent her picture to the group chat and another said she was sure it was the same girl and we called the police. I’m confident that the girl I saw in our hallway is Libby Squire.”

Alan Jones was travelling in a car along Beverley Road at around 11.40pm on on his way home from a darts match with Roland Jacobs when he saw the 21-year-old laid on the pavement.

He said: "I saw a girl laid on the floor. It was snowing that night and there was snow on the floor. She was laid in the snow.

“I wouldn’t want to see my daughter like that."

"I went straight over to her. I didn’t know what to think at the time. She had bloodied knees as if she had fallen down."

Mr Jones helped Miss Squire to her feet and sat her on the wall behind the bus stop. He asked where she lived so he could give her a lift home or if she had a phone to call someone.

He told the court her demeanour then changed and she started to swear at him.

"She didn't appear to want our help," he added.

The two men left after about ten minutes.

Matthew Handisides, who was working as the duty manager at the Sainsbury's store on Beverley Road on January 31, 2019, saw Miss Squire near to the bus stop on Beverley Road just gone midnight and heard her shouting "Don't leave me!" to a car turning in the dead end of Haworth Street.

He said he got the impression the girl was arguing with her boyfriend and there was no direct plea for him to help.

Miss Squire's flatmates also told of their desperate search for Miss Squire once they returned home to find her not there.

The young women drove up and down the area looking for Miss Squire, even stopping at her favourite takeaway in Newland Avenue.

The police were called at 2.21am

One of Libby's friends, Amelia Cummins said: “We thought she would turn up after wandering around. The reason we called the police is because we checked everywhere she may have gone to.

“I text her mum telling her what had happened and I told her at 3.20am that we were with the police.”

Amelia said “it was completely out of character” for Miss Squire to go missing.

She said the pair were planning to go to Germany together in the summer and were “inseparable.”

The court previously heard how Relowicz, 26, "persuaded or forced" Miss Squire into his car before driving her to Oak Road playing fields in Hull where he raped and murdered her before pushing her into the River Hull.The jury at Sheffield Crown Court also heard evidence that Relowicz, formerly of Raglan Street, Hull, had convictions for a string of sex offences around the city, including near Miss Squire's student home.

Relowicz denies murder and rape.

The trial continues.