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Leighton link to horrific murder
Mr Gilbert died from his beating
A Leighton woman is at the centre of a horrific murder trial being heard at Luton Crown Court – the LBO can reveal.
Natasha Oldfield, 29, of Kilgour Court is one of seven people charged in connection with the death of Michael Gilbert whose decapitated body was found at the Blue Lagoon in Arlesey in May last year.
His head was recovered from the same beauty spot on February 4 this year.
Miss Oldfield, whose address was actually given in court as Chertsey Close, Luton, is charged with murder, familial homicide and two counts of perverting the course of justice.
An LBO source said: "The Luton address is where she was living with her boyfriend, but I know for a fact that she has been living at Kilgour Court for about a year."
Also on trial for murder are brothers James Watt, 27, and Robert Watt, 20, and Nichola Roberts, 21, who all plead not guilty to murdering Mr Gilbert on or about January 21 last year.
Robert Watt, Miss Oldfield and Miss Roberts deny an alternative charge of familial homicide.
Robert Watt and Miss Oldfield also deny perverting the course of justice and she denies an offence of assisting an offender.
The brothers' parents Antonio Watt, 70, and Jennifer Smith-Dennis, 58, plead not guilty to familial homicide and perverting the course of justice.
Robert Watt has pleaded guilty to two counts of perverting the course of justice.
Richard Watt, 25, has pleaded guilty to familial homicide and one count of perverting the course of justice. A charge of murder remains on file.
The jury have been told how Mr Gilbert had been taken in by the Watt family about 10 years ago and lived with them at their Marlborough Road, Luton, home where he was treated like a slave and habitually beaten and humiliated.
Witness Colin Watt told the court how he saw Miss Oldfield kick, jump and punch Mr Gilbert.
He said: "Michael used to lie on the floor and she used to stand on him and start jumping up and down on him."
Prosecutor, Stuart Trimmer QC, told how Mr Gilbert was regularly beaten and abused and held by the family as their slave so that they could take his benefit money from him.
It is alleged that whenever he did manage to flee, he would be traced through the benefits system and forcibly brought back to the Watts' home.
Mr Watt said that by the end of 2008 he said Mr Gilbert was "getting worse and worse."
He said: "He had bruises all over his body and his stomach was swelling up."
He said beatings would take place day and night and that by January of 2009 there would be occasions when Mr Gilbert could only crawl to move around.
Mr Watt, who moved out of the family home, said: "The day before I left, I saw Michael in the bathroom lying on the floor covered in faeces.
"He just had a pair of boxers on and a t-shirt. His stomach was so swollen."
The jury have been told that Mr Gilbert died from his beatings and to cover up the killing, it is alleged his body was then chopped up and driven to the lake.
Case proceeding
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Weather for Leighton Buzzard
Wednesday 23 May 2012
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Temperature: 11 C to 23 C
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