Majella Lynch's carer Kate Hawkins told Winchester Crown Court she found the 51-year-old 'in a bad state'

Support worker Kate Hawkins told Winchester Crown Court she found Majella Lynch to be "very distressed" and in a "bad state" just hours after the prosecution claim she was subjected to a "sadistic and brutal act".

Miss Hawkins said she was concerned someone had been in the flat as it looked like it had been "ransacked" but when she asked the 51-year-old if anyone had been in, she didn't answer.

Daniel McBride is charged with the murder of Ms Lynch, known as Maj to her friends, as the prosecution claims he was responsible for inserting the bottle.

The 43-year-old of St Deny's Road, Southampton denies the charge.

Miss Hawkins, who works for the Society of St James, told Winchester Crown Court she had known Ms Lynch for about six months and was one of the carers who Ms Lynch allowed to visit her at her flat in St Mary's Road.

She said on the morning of April 18 last year she went to visit Ms Lynch at 9am and found it "strange" that her door was slightly open.

She also said it was unusual to find Ms Lynch naked, only covered with a blanket, which had blood on it and was shocked at the state of the flat.

She said: "The room was totally different to how it would usually be. It looked as though it had been ransacked and I remember asking her if anybody had been in."

She added that Ms Lynch wouldn't answer that question and complained of pain in her stomach saying "she had never experienced any pain like it", while curling up in a ball on her bed.

Miss Hawkins added: "She looked very distressed and in quite a bad state."

She then called the NHS 111 number and an ambulance was called.

As previously reported, Ms Lynch was taken to Southampton General Hospital where she underwent emergency surgery after a scan revealed the bottle inside her abdomen.

She died two days later on April 20 due to "massive infection" as a result of the damaged caused by the bottle.

Proceeding.