Graham Howard, 49, of Brook Street in Syston, Leicestershire, is on trial at Leicester Crown Court accused of murdering his childhood friend, Simon Geary, between 22 and 23 December 2025.
Prosecutor Christopher Donnellan KC told jurors that the two men had been drinking at Howard’s flat. At about midnight, the prosecutor said, Howard "brutally and repeatedly hit him, and when he was on the ground he stamped on him." CCTV shown to the court reportedly captured the pair making two trips to an Aldi store in Syston earlier that evening to buy alcohol, with no obvious signs of animosity.
The attack took place at the defendant's flat, the court heard [Leicester Media Online]
Jurors heard that Geary suffered blunt force trauma and was later found on the kitchen floor of Howard’s flat in what was described as a "pool of blood." The court was told that shortly after the alleged attack Howard drove Geary’s car at 00:22 GMT to meet a woman to repay a debt, returning to his flat at 00:45.
"He's thinking, and he's lying," Donnellan told the jury, referring to a phone call in which Howard told a neighbour he was out "drinking with Simon."
Prosecutors told jurors they would hear evidence that Howard had a diagnosis of schizophrenia and held what were described as delusional beliefs about Geary, including a belief that Geary was Ramzan Kadyrov, the Chechen leader. The Crown said it expected the defence to argue that Howard’s mental disorder diminished his responsibility at the time of the death but added that any condition had been affected by alcohol.
"He knew what he was doing, he knew he was killing another human being," the prosecutor said. Howard denies causing any injury to Geary. The trial is ongoing.
