A SUFFOLK carer hit a 77-year-old man repeatedly over the head with a hammer before getting into bed with him and trying to kill herself it has been alleged.

Bunthawee Rimmer allegedly rained 12 blows onto Paul Norfolk’s head with a 16-ounce claw hammer while he was probably asleep, Ipswich Crown Court was told.

Police who went to Mr Norfolk’s home in Castle Lane, Haverhill on the evening of December 30 last year, after being contacted by his brother, found him dead in his bed with 49-year-old Rimmer lying next to him, said Andrew Jackson prosecuting.

Rimmer, who had been a carer for Mr Norfolk’s wife Esme had stabbed herself and had taken an overdose.

Although she had not answered police questions following her arrest she has allegedly told a psychiatric nurse that she had been in an abusive relationship with Mr Norfolk and he had made her act as a masseuse to other men.

She said on the night of Mr Norfolk’s death he had been on the telephone to another woman and that everything after that was “a blackout”.

Rimmer, of Castle Lane, Haverhill has denied murdering Mr Norfolk between December 28-31 2011.

The court has heard that Rimmer had been married to Mr Norfolk’s best friend Geoffrey Rimmer until his death in 2010. She had then moved into Mr Norfolk’s home to help care for his wife Esme. Mr Jackson told the court that in the months before his death Mr Norfolk had changed his will leaving his home and cash worth �340,000 to the defendant.

Mr Jackson said there was no dispute that Rimmer had killed Mr Norfolk and the issue for the jury was likely to be whether she was suffering from diminished responsibility at the time of the killing due to a form of depression.

The case which is expected to last two weeks continues.