Press Association

A “RESENTFUL” gardener murdered an 82-year-old customer in a "sadistic" attack in which he inflicted more than 40 knife wounds after being sacked, a court heard today.

David Hall, 47, had worked on Dennis Plater's landscaped garden at his detached home in Stroud, for £5 per hour.

He became unreliable and repeatedly failed to turn up at the house, in Walkley Hill in the Cotswolds town, or inform Mr Plater he would not be working.

Bristol Crown Court heard how numerous customers complained that Hall had stolen from them and he was caught on CCTV taking more than £550 from a cafe.

Mr Plater, a model railway enthusiast, offered to give Hall a "second chance" but hired another gardener when he failed to turn up for work again.

The widower's body was discovered in his kitchen at 10am on November 7 last year after a neighbour and his new gardener used a spare key to enter the house.

Police arrested Hall, from Stroud, more than 100 miles away in Southsea, Hampshire, two days later and he admitted murdering Mr Plater.

Prosecuting, Christopher Quinlan QC said Hall inflicted a number of knife wounds, including on Mr Plater's eyes, ears and jawline, to find out where his money was.

Hall denies this and claims he became "extremely angry" and killed Mr Plater after the pensioner told him he had hired a new gardener then refused to shake his hand.

"Hall worked as a gardener and earned £5 per hour," Mr Quinlan said.

"In police interview he demonstrates a sense of resentment about that, perhaps about his customers.

"He asked police whether they could survive on £5 per hour. Gardening was his only source of income. He gardened for Mr Plater and Mr Plater paid him cash."

Mr Quinlan said other customers described Hall as "dodgy", a "chancer" and a "pathological liar" who could not be trusted.

In October last year, he stole £557.80 from his local coffee shop and left Stroud to live in Portsmouth without telling customers where he was going.

Mr Plater, described as "particular and meticulous", told friends and family that Hall had not attended to his garden for weeks.

"He told his half-sister Hazel Brian that the defendant was proving unreliable but he wanted to give him a second chance," Mr Quinlan said.

But Hall failed to turn up on his next scheduled visit, November 3, and Mr Plater decided to hire another gardener at £12.50 per hour.

In an answer phone message left to Hall on November 5, Mr Plater informed him of the arrangement and said it was due to "uncertainty and anxiety".

"He said that he was sorry that they had parted company and thanked him for all Mr Hall had done for him," Mr Quinlan said.

The following day, Hall caught a train from Portsmouth to Stroud and visited Mr Plater at about 1.30pm.

In a statement to police, Hall said: "Dennis Plater let me into his home. He was surprised to see me.

"He told me he now had a new gardener. He told me I needed to leave. I don't know what happened next but I accept that I killed him."

A post-mortem examination found Mr Plater suffered at least 42 sharp force injuries to his body, the majority of which were stab wounds.

More than 20 of these were to his face, with cuts to his eyes, mouth, behind his ears and his jawline.

"A good number of these injuries were not serious, they were modest and not deep," Mr Quinlan said.

"It is entirely consistent with trying to frighten the man to reveal the location of his money."

Mr Quinlan, who described the attack as "sadistic", said police searching the property after Mr Plater's death found no money.

"It has been cleaned out," he said.

A smear of blood was found on a chest of drawers containing wallets Mr Plater kept money in, which were all empty.

Following the killing, Hall used cash to purchase train tickets to Portsmouth and immediately went to the pub when he arrived.

Officers discovered £95 in cash in his rucksack after his arrest.

Hall admits murder but denies that it was sadistic or for financial gain.

The hearing continues.