A WINCHESTER man who was left to die in his home was ‘attacked with an ornamental axe and stabbed five times in the back’, a court has heard.

Carl Scott’s body was discovered in March last year – around a month after it is thought he died – where it is alleged he was attacked by defendant David Gray.

But Gray, who did not appear at Winchester Crown Court yesterday, will not stand trial accused of murder after he was deemed not fit to enter a plea on Tuesday.

Instead, a jury has been tasked by judge Jane Miller QC with deciding whether Gray “unlawfully killed” Mr Scott.

The jury heard that Mr Scott, 37, was discovered at his home in Birch Court, Thurmond Road on March 22 by a friend who had grown concerned for his welfare.

He had last been seen on February 12, with experts estimating he died around mid-February.

Mr Scott, who was in an advanced state of decomposition when he was discovered, had multiple wounds, including one to the side of his head, which, prosecutor Kerry Maylin told the court, was believed to have been caused by the “Tomahawk” ornamental axe, which Mr Scott had in his home, along with two others.

The axe was found broken in two, with the handle placed in the kitchen and the blade near to his body.

Ms Maylin added that he had five stab wounds in his back, one of which had penetrated his lung, with DNA linking to Gray to the scene.

The jury also heard how Gray, 36, of no fixed abode, had made spoken with a number of people about the death, including Robert Ediss whom, Ms Maylin said, Gray had “confessed his responsibility” to.

Ms Maylin added that Gray allegedly asked another person: “What would you do if you thought you had killed someone?”

The court heard these people shrugged it off due their knowledge of Gray, but it was noted that he had become more agitated closer to the discovery of Mr Scott’s body.

Gray, who was a service user of homelessness charity Trinity Winchester, had undergone a mental health assessment the day before Mr Scott’s body was discovered, and was detained under the mental health act following an incident in the grounds of Winchester Cathedral.

However, while detained at Antelope House, run by Southern Health NHS Trust in Southampton, the court heard Gray had called police a number of times to discuss the incident prior to being charged.

Proceeding are expected to last for several days. The trial continues.