I saw man accused of Davinia's murder lock door, neighbour tells court

Alexander Hasell said he saw Kevin Hyden outside Miss Loynton's maisonette in Wellington on the Saturday morning she was attacked.

Her battered body was found rolled up in her living room rug by distraught friends and colleagues after she failed to show up for work.

Mr Hasell told the jury at Stafford Crown Court yesterday that he was returning from the chemists on the morning of September 20 last year.

He said: "As I came to our security door, I got off my bike and I heard a door shut behind me.

"It made me turn round and look. It was the defendant at the door of the victim, Davinia Loynton, because I saw Hyden, I heard the door shut, he was definitely locking the door.

"He was wearing smart clothes, a pair of trousers and a short sleeved shirt, and shoes. The fact it was smart drew my attention to what he was wearing.

"He carried on locking the door, I said hello to him and he went back to his flat, I presume."

Later that morning, Mr Hasell said he got a text message from a number he didn't recognise.

Miss Deborah Gould, prosecuting, told the jury the number was that of Miss Loynton's phone.

"Who was the person on the other end of the mobile?" she asked.

Mr Hasell replied: "Kevin."

Mr Hasell said he didn't know Miss Loynton by name before she was killed, but knew where she lived.

"I didn't know her that well at all," he said. "I knew of her, but I didn't know her name until this happened. I was arrested on suspicion of the murder and held in custody for four days and then released without charge," he said.

The witness said he saw Hyden again on Sunday, September 21. He was at the cashpoint at the local OneStop shop.

"When I came out, he was using the cashpoint. He asked me 'How much can you draw out on a card in one go?' I remember saying to him 'What's your limit?' His response was, 'Well, it's given me £500'.

The prosecution allege that Hyden tortured 59-year-old Miss Loynton in her home to get the PIN numbers for her bank cards before killing her.

Hyden, 35, of Glebe Street, Wellington denies murder. His

partner, Emma Lucas, 39, of Keats Avenue, Stafford denies perverting the course of justice by providing Hyden with a false alibi.

The trial continues.