THE FORMER girlfriend of a man accused of murdering Bradford grandfather Clement 'Butch' Desmier claimed he had confessed the killing to her.

Mother-of-three Antoinette Wilson told police, in a video recorded interview played to a Bradford Crown Court jury yesterday, that David Lawler said he had held a pillow over Mr Desmier's face, while his co-accused, Nathan Jefferson, stood in front of the 68-year-old, stabbing him.

She said: "He didn't stand a chance."

Miss Wilson claimed in her interview that Lawler and Jefferson had been sent to the victim's house, in Rowlestone Rise, Greengates, by Lawler's uncle, Michael Lucas, who had been friends with Mr Desmier but had fallen out.

She said: "They were supposed to get money and an ornament. I don't know what it was or what it looked like but it meant something to Michael."

Lawler, 33, of Bradford, has denied murdering Mr Desmier, who was found dead in his armchair, in August 2012. Jefferson, 20, of Springwell View, Holbeck, Leeds, pleaded guilty to the murder, before the trial began.

Mr Desmier was discovered by neighbours. He was wearing boxer shorts and a T-shirt and had died from asphyxia and repeated stab wounds.

The jury has been told that nine days after the murder, Lawler cut a man's throat with a Stanley knife.

Miss Wilson said that when the men left the house, they went down the street towards the woods and the knife was put down a grate.

She claimed that when Lawler found out she had told a friend about his confession he threatened to torture the friend's children and throw acid in her face.

Miss Wilson said she had not told police about it before because she was scared. She had decided to tell them now because she could not cope.

The jury was told Mr Desmier's death was "directly precipitated by a sustained and violent assault."

Forensic pathologist Dr Christopher Johnson told the court the cause of the victim's death was multiple injuries, including stab wounds.

Dr Johnson said it was highly likely Mr Desmier's injuries - which included 60 penetrative puncture wounds to his body from a screwdriver and a single typical knife stab wound to his abdomen - were inflicted while he was sat in his armchair, in the front room of his home.

The pathologist said Mr Desmier had a number of health issues, including irreversible lung disease and cerebral vascular problems, which would have made him more susceptible to the effect of the multiple injuries.

Dr Johnson said two of the puncture wounds with a screwdriver had gone through ribs and into Mr Desmier's left lung, indicating that severe force had been used. The knife wound had damaged his kidney and spleen.

He also found evidence that Mr Desmier's neck had been compressed by use of a hand, while smothering his face with a pillow at the same time. He said the compression, the puncture wounds and the stab wound could all have caused his death on their own.