The face of a murdered Irishman was so distorted t

The face of a murdered Irishman was so distorted that
detectives thought he was Chinese when they rescued his body from
a rubbish skip, the Old Bailey heard.

The contents of the skip, including Mr John Kenny’s body,
was about to be transferred into a Thames barge when a shocked
worker spotted his corpse
‘Because the man’s face was so horribly swollen and
documents in the name of Tang were found near the body police
thought the victim was Chinese,’ said prosecutor Mr David Spens.

Mr Kenny had died from a fractured skull and four stab
wounds, one of which penetrated his jugular vein.

A painstaking inquiry revealed Mr Kenny lived on the
Mozart Estate, Harrow Road, Maida Vale, London.

The prosecution claim he was murdered by his neighbours
mother-of-two Susan Butterworth, 35, and her young lover Craig
Hendley, 21.

After kicking, punching and knifing Mr Kenny to death
after a row over a piece of carpet, the pair wrapped the body in
a sheet and dumped him in the skip, claimed counsel.

The court heard Mr Kenny lived down the corridor from
the pair in Tolhurst House.

Hendley allegedly told police how he spent December 9
last year drinking all day, then went to see Mr Kenny, who was
mending his video recorder.

‘Mr Kenny and Hendley had obtained a piece of carpet and
when Hendley walked into the room he saw Mr Kenny was using it.

‘He wanted his part of the proceeds for the carpet.

He started to batter the deceased.

‘
‘I just flipped.

I hit him and just got carried away,’
Hendley was said to have told detectives.

‘I just freaked out and went mental.

‘
Blood spashed over Butterworth’s teeshirt as Hendley
continued with the sickening attack, the court heard.

Hendley claimed at one stage Mr Kenny grabbed him around
the legs and Butterworth smashed him over the head with a chisel.

He then took a shower in the dead man’s flat and Butter
worth put their blood stained clothes in her washing machine.

That night they threw the body into the communal skip at
the bottom of the tower block.

The following day Butterworth went to see her husband’s
sister with Hendley.

When a report of the killing appeared on television
Butterworth allegedly said: ‘Craig did that’
And Hendley allegedly asked Mr Kenny’s flatmate, Mr
Patrick Brown, if he had ever killed anyone.

‘Mr Brown thought he was joking.

Hendley then became
quite serious and and said he had killed someone for Susan,’ said
counsel.

Police interviewed all the occupants of the tower block
and were suspicious when they spoke to Hendley and Butterworth.

A few days after the killing detectives arrested Butterworth
arrested.

She allegedly told officers: ‘It wasn’t me.

I didn’t
kill him.

It was Craig.

‘
Butterworth said Hendley had started to hit Mr Kenny
during the row over the carpet and then demanded to know where
the key to the kitchen cupboard was.

Mr Kenny had locked the video away there, but refused to
tell where he had hidden the key and was beaten again.

‘She said she pleaded with Hendley him to stop but he
told her to shut up,’ said counsel.

‘Hendley then pulled a knife out.

He used it to cut Mr
Kenny below the nipple, only doing this after he had pulled his
jumper up.

‘He then pulled down his trousers and stabbed him in the
leg.

‘Butterworth went to the bedroom.

When she returned
Hendley was trying to strangle him with a belt.

‘This snapped and Hendley jumped on his stomach
shouting: “Die you bastard die.

”
Butterworth also claimed Hendley stabbed Mr Kenny in the
neck and the knife got stuck in his throat.

Hendley allegedly used a teeshirt to get a better grip on
the knife and pull it out.

The garment was then flung over the dead man’s face.

Both the teeshirt and the top Butterworth were wearing
were recovered from her flat and both still showed traces of
bloodstains.

Butterworth said Hendley was still cleaning his blood
stained trainers when Mr Brown called asking where his flatmate
was.

‘Hendley explained the red stains on his shoes to Mr Brown
by saying Butterworth’s children had been playing with tomato
ketchup.

‘
Butterworth and Hendley deny murder.

The trial continues.

ENDS