Court hears murder accused throttled his mother years before killing girlfriend
A war veteran throttled his mother shouting “you’re dead” years before he killed a Britain’s Got Talent finalist, a court has heard.
Desmond Sylva, 41, is on trial at the Old Bailey for repeatedly stabbing his girlfriend Simonne Kerr (pictured), 31, in the face and neck on August 15 last year.
The former soldier has admitted the nurse’s manslaughter but denied murder, citing depression.
Jurors heard how on March 30 2010, Sylva was charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent to his mother Patricia King.
But days later, the charge was dropped after Ms King withdrew the allegation, saying she was not willing to give evidence against her son, jurors heard.
In a witness statement read to the court, Ms King had told how her son had been staying with her when he became “more and more agitated” constantly touching his hair and shaking.
She had previously seen him behave like this when he was in hospital, according to her account.
She recalled asking him whether his then wife Pinar Sylva and their baby had gone back to Germany and he replied “yes” in a very hostile manner.
She told police he had been upset about the prospect of his wife not returning from Germany with their child.
While she was reading a text message, Sylva grabbed his mother round the neck saying “help help”, the court heard.
Ms King responded: “Sparrow, it’s me your mother” and he allegedly replied: “Mother you’re dead.”
He allegedly put his arm around her neck and put his fingers down her throat to stop her calling for help.
He forced her to the ground and straddled her as he continued to say “mother you’re dead”, it was claimed.
Ms King told police how he tightened his grip on her throat, making her “scared for her life”.
Prosecutor Louise Oakley told jurors: “Ms King told police the last thing she recalled was blood coming from her mouth before she passed out.
“In her opinion, Desmond knew exactly what he was doing.
“When Ms King regained consciousness, Desmond had left the address and she climbed out of a window and summoned the assistance of a neighbour and police.”
She was taken to hospital with swelling to her throat and tongue and carpet burns.
Meanwhile, Sylva had travelled to Germany but returned to Britain two days later and made no comment when interviewed by police.
Days later, Ms King made a further statement withdrawing her allegation, saying her son had been in an “extremely depressive state” with “suicidal and aggressive thoughts”.
The prosecution was forced to drop the charges after a judge at Woolwich Crown Court refused to agree to a witness summons.
At the time of the alleged incident, Sylva had been an infantry soldier in the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.
Over 10 years in the Army, he had served in Iraq and Kosovo before he was discharged in 2012 on medical grounds.
He was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder and depression and was working as a security guard at the time of the killing in his flat in Clapham, south London.
Giving evidence, Sylva told jurors how he was brought up in Jamaica with an abusive father.
He suffered a first mental health episode after he moved to London to live with his mother, and received psychiatric care after cutting his neck in a bakery.
Sylva told jurors he fought on the front line in Basra during his career in the Army.
Asked how it affected him, Sylva said: “I was not the same person as I was.”
He spoke to his comrades about his problems but did not seek professional help because he felt it was “a sign of weakness”, he said.
In 2005, he married Pinar Sylva and they had a daughter but the relationship broke down around 2009.
He said: “My wife was cheating. She was seeing somebody behind my back. It caused me to have a breakdown.
“With the Iraq tour and the breakdown I was in a darker place than I was before. That was the second episode.
“The Army decided I was to go to a mental institution in Peterborough.”
Rebecca Trowler QC, defending, asked about the incident in March 2010 when his mother accused him of attacking her.
She said: “Do you accept that you did what she alleged that you did?
“The jury have heard she alleged you attacked her and strangled her and put your fingers in her mouth and caused her to go unconscious.”
He replied: “Some of it I do not remember but it was a long time ago. I know there was an incident.”
Ms Trowler asked: “You have no reason to doubt that it happened?”
Sylva replied: “I don’t.”
Copyright (c) Press Association Ltd. 2019, All Rights Reserved. Picture (c) NHS Press Office / PA Wire.
