Darwen prison officer James Johnson murdered friend during 40th birthday party by strangling him to death, jury told
A prison officer from Darwen is standing trial accused of murdering a friend on his 40th birthday by strangling him to death.
The four knew each other through a hiking group and 'the fact that they had stressful jobs and a mutual love of hiking made them get on with each other well', Mr Ford told the jury.
After around three and a half hours at the event, they moved on to a 'pavement bar' where the group were, according to Mr Ford, 'cavorting and behaving quite raucously in public.' 'Someone tried to rape me and I've killed them' Mr Ford said images from Mr Toulson's phone, taken by Ms Smith, showed Mr Toulson knelt over Mr Johnson whilst topless and wearing a pair of shorts.
Mr Ford said both female witnesses 'remember little' about what happened at the flat. Ms Burns said she began chest compressions after finding Mr Toulson in the hallway of the flat with his 'face and mouth looking blue.' Mr Johnson told police officers at the scene that he had taken some of the white powder he believed to be cocaine, felt unwell and had gone to the bathroom to be sick and that whilst there Mr Toulson 'tried to drag him out of the bathroom and into the bedroom in order - so he believed - to have sex with him', Mr Ford said.
"David Toulson is a much smaller, slighter man compared to Mr Johnson who was a well-built young man of at least six foot, and a prison officer. "
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