A man stands accused of killing his ex-girlfriend’s new partner after discovering them engaged in a sexual encounter at a children’s playground.
During the trial, the jury heard that Kyle Morley allegedly attacked both individuals involved in the incident. He reportedly started by striking his ex-girlfriend, Katie Lamb, with a powerful blow to her face. Morley then turned his aggression toward David Bettison, who, at the time, had his pants around his ankles. Morley proceeded to punch, kick, and stomp on Mr. Bettison, causing severe facial injuries that ultimately hindered his ability to breathe. Tragically, Mr. Bettison was pronounced dead at Hugglescote, Leicestershire Park on February 24, 2023.
In the courtroom, Morley entered a not guilty plea to the charges of murder and attempted murder. While he did admit to assaulting both Katie Lamb, 23 years old, and David Bettison, 43 years old, Morley claimed in his prepared statement to the detectives that he assaulted Mr. Bettison without the intention of causing him serious harm. He cited heavy intoxication and the consumption of class-A drugs during the incident.
During the trial’s first day at Leicester Crown Court on October 31, prosecutor Michael Brady KC told the jury that Morley’s intoxication and drug use were not valid excuses. He argued that Morley was guilty as charged with the murder of Mr. Bettison and that the defense of loss of control, which could lead to a manslaughter verdict, did not apply in Morley’s case. According to Mr. Brady, “Kyle Morley, we say, did it in a fit of anger sparked by sexual jealousy. The only inference to draw, given the brutality of the attack, is that the defendant intended to kill Mr. Bettison. He also attacked Katie Lamb, leaving her incoherent when the police arrived. Katie Lamb has limited recollection of the events in the park.”
The jury learned that Morley had been drinking with Mr. Bettison and others in Hugglescote pubs in the hours leading up to the alleged murder. Miss Lamb arrived at around midnight. At one point, Miss Lamb and Mr. Bettison were observed walking hand-in-hand into the playground.
Approximately five minutes later, Morley was seen on CCTV footage entering the park, but the actual assault was not captured on camera. Mr. Brady informed the jury: “The defendant rushed to them and struck her with enough force to render her unconscious. She recollects being on the ground, witnessing the defendant assaulting David Bettison, who was also on the ground.”
Mr. Bettison was not defending himself, and his face was covered in blood. Miss Lamb reported hearing “rattling noises” from Mr. Bettison, leading her to believe, based on her experience working in an elderly care home, that he was in grave danger.
Residents who heard Miss Lamb’s screams called the police, who arrived at around 2:15 am on February 24. Morley initially told the officers that he had caught Mr. Bettison attempting to assault his ex-girlfriend, which prompted his attack.
A post-mortem examination revealed that Mr. Bettison had sustained head, body, and back injuries from being stomped on, with “blunt force trauma to the face” cited as the official cause of death.
The jury was informed that Morley and Miss Lamb had been in a relationship for approximately two and a half years, which had ended in December the previous year. The relationship had been characterized as “toxic” and “volatile,” as reported by Miss Lamb’s mother in her statement to the detectives.
