Norwich murder trial jury told drugs row was going to 'end badly'

Alaina Pitcher gave Theodore Lynch £50 which he passed onto Leslie Smith in order to buy drugs but returned hours later having smoked them.

Police at Suffolk Square (Image: Newsquest)Lynch has gone on trial for the murder of the 63-year-old whose decomposing body was found at his flat in Suffolk Square in Norwich almost two weeks after a row in which he was stabbed in the neck.

Suffolk Square, Norwich (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest)Norwich Crown Court has seen CCTV footage from Suffolk Square which captured Lynch running along the balcony away from Mr Smith's flat on October 5 2021 before entering a stairwell and heading down the stairs "at some speed".

Norwich Crown Court (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest)Giving evidence on Monday Miss Pitcher, who had previously been in a relationship with Lynch, said by the time Mr Smith returned to Suffolk Square at about 6pm or 6.30pm they had been there hours, having arrived between 1pm and 2pm, and Lynch "wasn't impressed".

She said: "He was given money to go and score drugs with by Theo

"He was gone hours but he came back with no money, no drugs or anything."

Miss Pitcher, who had given Lynch the money to give to Mr Smith to buy drugs, said the defendant said: "That's my girlfriend's money".

She said: "It started from there and just spiralled."

Suffolk Square, Norwich (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest)During her police interview, which was played to the eight women and four men on the jury, Miss Pitcher, who said she was good at reading Lynch, said: "I know he was p****d off, I could tell.

"He was shouting and swearing and stuff and shouting and swearing at me.

"It was £50 -  not the end of the world.

"I thought it was going to end in a fight - it was going to end badly."

Miss Pitcher, who was initially arrested on suspicion of murder but has since been informed no further action would be taken against her, had taken drugs that day and although cannot remember much said Lynch and Mr Smith both went upstairs to his flat.

She said: "They went upstairs together, I don't think I went up with them.

"I didn't actually see him physically hurt but I saw them together.

She said she "definitely didn't see him getting assaulted, or killed or hit" but remembered Lynch being angry with Mr Smith.

Suffolk Square, Norwich (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest)Due to the drugs she had taken she was "KO'd" and "out of it" and can only remember waking up a few days later after she herself had been attacked and stabbed by Lynch.

The court heard on October 8 2021 Lynch attacked Miss Pitcher with a pair of scissors and stabbed her with a knife and Lynch subsequently pleaded guilty to an offence of wounding in May 2022.

She said Lynch was "controlling" and described him as someone who "bullies and targets women" and also described him as being "evil".

Miss Pitcher said on October 5 2021 she and Lynch had been walking into the city to get a train or a bus to Brundall, where Lynch's sister lived, but they went to Suffolk Square to see Mr Smith.

Although she had not met Mr Smith previously she said he "seemed like a nice guy".

Lynch, of no fixed address, has admitted manslaughter but denies murder.

The trial continues.