Daniel Boulton trial: Killer had 'fixation' on ex-partner and her son

A man accused of murdering his ex-girlfriend and her nine-year-old son was "fixated" on the pair and had previously said he would stab them, a court heard.

Bethany Vincent and Darren Henson were found fatally injured at their home in Louth, Lincolnshire, on 31 May 2021.

Daniel Boulton, 30, denies murder but has admitted their manslaughter.

Mr Boulton and Ms Vincent had a "toxic relationship" and he bore a hatred for her son, Lincoln Crown Court was told.

Giving evidence, Timothy Dykes, who works for a church chaplaincy service at a Skegness homeless shelter, said Mr Boulton attended a number of meetings with him at the lodge where the defendant temporarily lived.

He told jurors he believed Mr Boulton was "on the autistic spectrum" based on his demeanour.

"It was because of his fixation on his ex and her son," said Mr Dykes.

He said Mr Boulton had revealed he could not see Ms Vincent because of an injunction.

The jury previously heard the victim had a restraining order against her ex, which he "repeatedly broke".

Mr Dykes told the court: "He [Mr Boulton] said they were all in on it, in the injunction, and I'm going to stab them."

Jurors heard Mr Dykes emailed the lodge manager and Mr Boulton's support worker with his concerns.

Caroline Vincent, Bethany's mother and DJ's grandmother, told the jury how the defendant was "quite possessive" of her daughter and described him as "angry, loud, nasty".

A former friend of the defendant, Ashley Henson, told the jury the couple had a "toxic" relationship, which began in March 2019 and became worse.

Jurors heard two children describe how they dialled 999 when they saw Bethany shouting for help at the window of her home, but were scared and ran off when they saw a man holding a rope.

Prosecutor Katherine Goddard QC said Mr Boulton had become increasingly violent towards Ms Vincent and her family.

He walked 28 miles from his home in Skegness to Ms Vincent's home in High Holme Road where he repeatedly stabbed her and Darren, she said.

The trial continues.

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