Lauren Griffith murder case: Accused ordered Subway after killing his girlfriend, court told
A man accused of murdering his fiancee, from Oswestry, before ordering food from Subway has told jurors he was consumed by grief and self-hatred as he ate his meal next to her dead body.
Madog Rowlands denies murdering Lauren Griffiths at their flat in Cathays, Cardiff – insisting he acted in self defence after she grabbed him by the throat.
The 23-year-old university student said Miss Griffiths had attacked him first as she had a severe mental health episode.
After strangling her, Rowlands wrapped her body up using bin bags, clingfilm and cellotape.
The court has also been told that following her death, Rowlands also bought drugs and food.
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On the sixth day of the case, Rowlands faced further cross examination from the Crown's counsel, Michael Jones QC.
Newport Crown Court heard, that hours after killing Miss Griffiths on April 29, 2019, he made a Subway order which was delivered to their flat in Glynrhondda Street.
Rowlands said: “I was depressed and consumed by self hatred.”
Mr Jones said: “Were you consumed by self hatred or were you just hungry? You ate that sandwich while sat on the mattress inches away from Lauren’s dead body."
Rowlands replied: “I still hated myself and I still do. I still loved her and I was still talking to her.”
Mr Jones said: “What about?”
The defendant replied: “About me and us, times we spent together.”
The prosecutor said: “You wrote ‘How happy, how happy, really good, it’s happy” on the Subway box. Why did you do that?”
Rowlands said: “I don’t know why I wrote that, it’s clearly me but I was under the effect of a lot of drugs.”
Operator
The trial has previously been told that Rowlands did not phone 999 until the following day, April 30, 2019.
That 999 call was played again to the jurors before the defendant faced further questions from the prosecution.
Mr Jones said: "You knew she had been dead for over 24 hours, why didn’t you tell the operator that?”
Rowlands said: “I wish I had, I don’t know why I didn’t. In the moment I was just trying to do what he was telling me to do.”
Mr Jones said: “Were you giving the operator the impression you were doing the best for her when you had killed her more than 24 hours earlier.”
Rowlands said: “I was just trying to do what he told me to do.”
There were also further questions to Rowlands about internet searches he made while released on bail.
Mr Jones said: “You searched the term ‘credit for guilty plea’.
Did you search that to see what you would get if you admitted what you had done?”
Rowlands said: “No, I didn’t know what it meant.”
Mr Jones said: “Why did you type in ‘how to show remorse’?”
Rowlands said: “I was unfamiliar with the term and didn’t know what it was.”
As he concluded his cross-examination, Mr Jones told Rowlands: "The truth is you’re a self absorbed, manipulative person and what you did that day was to kill her and sought to blame her own vulnerabilities for her death, that’s the truth of this.”
Rowlands replied: “No.”
The case was set to resume today with the prosecution and defence both giving their closing speeches.
Judge Daniel Williams is then expected to start summing up the case.
Rowlands, of Coed Efa in New Broughton, Wrexham, denies murder.
