IPSWICH: A policeman who went to the Ipswich home of alleged murder victim Rosalyn Hunt after worried neighbours contacted the police found her body slumped on a bed, a court has heard.

In a statement read to a jury at |pswich Crown Court, Pc Stuart Boldero said that he had knocked at the door of Mrs Hunt’s one bedroom flat in Victoria Street shortly before noon on August 9 last year.

After getting no answer he spoke to neighbours who said they had not seen Mrs Hunt for a few days but said they had noticed that a rear window had recently been smashed.

In a statement read to the court by prosecuting counsel Steven Dyble, Pc Boldero said that he had gone to the rear of the flat and had noticed flies at the broken window.

He arranged for a council carpenter to come to the premises to open the front door and on entering Mrs Hunt’s bedroom he saw her body “slumped” on the bed.

He noticed she was wearing a dark coloured top and jeans and that she was partially covered by a duvet cover.

The officer said that the flat was in a poor state and was very dirty.

Before the court are Paul Clarke, 41, of Mountbatten Court, Ipswich, a 16-year-old girl who cannot be named because of her age, and John Grimwood, 28, of Canham Street, Ipswich, who have denied murdering Mrs Hunt in August last year.

Clarke and the girl have also denied murdering Des Thorpe, 43, whose body was found at a flat in Limerick Close, Ipswich on August 10 last year.

The court has heard that Mrs Hunt is believed to have died on August 4 last year but her body lay undiscovered until August 9.

Yesterday the court heard evidence from 41-year-old Mrs Hunt’s former husband John Hunt who was in a relationship with her for ten years after meeting her while they were feeding ducks in Christchurch Park, Ipswich.

He said she had been 19 when they got married and already had a daughter called Louise. He and Mrs Hunt had a son called Justin, now aged 19, and Mr Hunt described the early part of their relationship as “good”.

However, Mrs Hunt developed an alcohol problem and they separated 14 years ago.

The couple’s son had lived with Mr Hunt but would see his mother on a regular basis.

Mr Hunt had stayed on good terms with his ex-wife and had last seen her about a month before her death when he visited her flat and found about ten people drinking and smoking there.

He said he had asked her if she wanted any help in getting the people to leave but she had said she was alright.

The trial continues today.