The body of a woman was found covered in bite marks under a duvet after she was ‘beaten with a hammer’, a court has heard.
Sam Varley, 44, was discovered lying face down on her bed with blood under her head, Leeds Crown Court was told.
A post mortem found she had suffered human bite marks on her right wrist, multiple rib fractures and injuries consistent with hammer blows.
Police were alerted on February 12, 2024, after receiving a 999 call from a concern relative who told how she had not seen her for a few days.
Officers discovered Sam’s body at the home she shared with Warren Spence on Brown Hill Terrace, Leeds.
He was not present at the address where officers found evidence of drugs use before discovering Sam’s body.
Spence has denied a charge of one count of murder between February 7 to 13.
Prosecutor Stephen Wood told how officers found Sam motionless in her bed.
He said: ‘Going into the bedroom itself, officers pulled back the duvet on the bed and that revealed the body of Ms Varley. She was laying face down on the bed.
‘It was obvious to the police in the bedroom that she was deceased.’
A hammer and clumps of hair were recovered from the home. Traces of Sam’s DNA were found on the hammer while Spence’s DNA was found in three samples taken from the hair
A mobile phone, later attributed to Mr Spence, was also discovered under Sam’s body.
Mr Wood said: ‘The police very quickly ascertained that Ms Varley was in a relationship with the defendant Warren Spence and self evidently he was not at the flat and so he was declared by the police as suspect for the murder of Ms Varley.’
The court heard Spence, 54, had stayed with a friend before going onto Scarborough, where he was arrested from on February 15.
Mr Wood said Spence provided a false name and date of birth to officers before being arrested. He answered ‘No comment’ in both of his two interviews.
A post mortem examination of Sam’s body found she had injuries, including bruising to her head, and injuries consistent with multiple blows to the face as well as ’round shaped abrasions’ consistent with a blow from a hammer.
Dr Christopher Johnson, a forensic pathologist, carried out the post-mortem ‘identified injuries to the back of the trunk and he identified they had revealed ’round’ shaped abrasions’, Mr Wood said.
‘Dr Johnson found the hammer to be a suitable candidate for these round-shaped injuries.’
The examination also found evidence Sam had been ‘forcefully pulled from her head’ and had suffered 25 separate rib fractures – 23 of which were complete.
She had also suffered human bite marks to her right wrist, forearm and left shin and injuries to her lower limbs.
The prosecutor said there was evidence that Sam consumed morphine to ‘high and potentially fatally toxic level’ probably due to a misuse of heroin.
There was also evidence of the presence of cocaine, and that Sam had consumed alcohol, he said.
But while these substance abuses were deemed enough to cause death by Dr Johnson, the pathologist was of the opinion that Sam’s chest injuries ‘played a central role’ in her death.
The court also heard, that prior to going to Scarborough, Spence had spent time with a friend, Luke O’Connor.
Mr Wood said: ‘He was traced by the police. He had known Ms Varley for about two years prior to her death. He also the knew the defendant was Ms Varley’s boyfriend and called him “Woz”. He had known the defendant for about 6 to 8 months prior to Ms Varley’s death.’
The court was told he had last seen Sam during an occasion where he had gone to her flat and could hear arguing.
Mr Wood said: ‘He described it as shouting between a man and a woman, but he wasn’t sure whether it was noise coming from Ms Varley’s flat or above.
‘He knocked on the door and Ms Varley answered and she said it was not a good time, and he should come back later. Mr O’Connor said he saw no sign of any injuries to Ms Varley on that occasion.’
It was said Mr O’Connor had last seen Spence the following Thursday where he had told him he had had a ‘barney with Sam’, was seen to be carrying a black Holdall bag with him and went to stay with Mr O’Connor for a number of nights.
Mr Wood said: ‘He remembered being with the defendant when he bought a telephone at the market. He also remembered seeing that the defendant had some cuts and scratches to his face; but Mr O’Connor thought nothing more about those.’
Spence had also borrowed a pair of trainers from Mr O’Connor, who noted one of his toes was ‘swollen like a boiled egg’.
Mr Wood said Spence’s trainers were recovered and were found to have blood staining which matched Sam’s DNA profile.
He said the prosecution anticipate Mr Spence will claim he was not present at the time Sam was attacked.
The trial continues.