Christina Abbotts 'bludgeoned to death with pestle'
A 29-year-old student turned sex worker who failed to turn up for her own birthday party was bludgeoned to death with a pestle, a court has heard.
The body of Christina Abbotts was found in a bed at a flat in Highams Hill, Gossops Green, in Crawley in May. She had been struck 13 times on the back of the head and was also possibly strangled, Lewes Crown Court was told. Businessman Zahid Naseem, 48, of Elm Close, in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, denies murder. Ms Abbotts, who advertised her services under the name Tilly Pexton, had been house-sitting at the flat for a friend. Opening the prosecution, Christopher Tehrani told jurors Mr Naseem stayed in the flat for 12 hours after Ms Abbotts died, sending pornographic pictures and films to another sex worker and pretended to be unconscious when police broke down the door. He said: "He murdered Christina Abbotts. In short, the prosecution say the assault Christina Abbotts suffered which resulted in her death was brutal, savage, unnecessary and pointless. "You will hear she had an active social life. "Unknown to many of her friends and family she was a sex worker. In some quarters she would be described as a high-class escort." Police were called to the flat when no-one had heard from Ms Abbotts after midday on 25 May, which was "very unusual". Officers found Mr Naseem lying motionless on the sofa with his eyes flickering but a paramedic was "sceptical" he was unconscious. Mr Tehrani told jurors the accused was "play acting", and was later found to have injuries consistent with self-harming. A blood-stained bottle of brandy, cocaine, poppers and the other half of the pestle set were found at the flat. Mr Naseem's bloody fingerprints were also discovered on the bath, a meat cleaver and on Ms Abbott's iPhone, the court heard. The trial continues.