Sheffield Crown Court: Murder suspect's husband died after alleged beating and lethal drug dosage

Pauline Caster, aged 44, has pleaded not guilty during an on-going Sheffield Crown Court trial to murdering her 43-year-old husband, Kevin Caster, after he was found seriously injured by emergency services at their home on High Hazel Crescent, Catcliffe, Rotherham, on October 19, 2021, and was later pronounced dead.

Mr Shafi KC, prosecuting, said: “What was the cause of Mr Caster’s untimely death? The prosecution say it was a serious and sustained assault by the defendant together with ingestion of a toxic quantity of Lamotrigine, a prescription drug prescribed to the defendant.”

CCTV footage of the couple’s home allegedly captured the accused stamping, punching and striking downwards with her arms flailing, according to Mr Shafi.

And a post-mortem examination concluded the injuries could have proved fatal, according to Mr Shafi, but the mixed drug toxicity may also have proved fatal and that the death was caused by a combination of his injuries and the drugs - in particular epilepsy drug Lamotrigine.

Mr Shafi told the jury: “The prosecution is unable to say whether or not the deceased voluntarily ingested Lamotrigine at all, or in the quantity which was discovered in his blood post death.

“Only two people know in what circumstances the Lamotrigine, a drug prescribed to the defendant, came to be ingested by Kevin Caster. They are, of course, the defendant and Kevin Caster.

“The defendant, at the time, was at pains to tell whoever would listen that Kevin Caster had recently taken the Lamotrigine tablets himself. Since then she has remained silent, offering no account as to how the Lamotrigine came to be in Kevin Caster’s body.

“The prosecution are, however, able to say that the defendant was plainly responsible for a brutal and unrelenting attack upon Kevin Caster that evening. An attack that you can see for yourselves on the CCTV footage.”

He added: “The fact that death could theoretically have been caused by the Lamotrigine by itself does not absolve the defendant of responsibility for the death of Kevin Caster. It is certainly no defence to murder.

“The medical evidence in this case is clear, the cause of death was a combination of the ingestion of Lamotrigine and the injuries occasioned by the blunt force trauma.”

A forensic toxicologist reported that Lamotrigine, cocaine and other drug traces were detected in Kevin Caster’s blood following his death, according to the court, and the Lamotrigine was detected at a value of 105 milligrams per litre of blood which is well in excess of the ranges reported in Lamotrigine-related fatalities.

Mr Shafi also claimed CCTV footage captured Pauline Caster’s movements at the couple’s home.

He added: “At 19.54 through to 20.03 a figure believed to be the defendant, through the open front door with light behind, is seen to stamp, punch and strike downwards towards the floor. Two arms look to be flailing from the bottom of the door.”

Mr Shafi also claimed that the defendant looks to intermittently stop stamping and have a short walk down the garden and then returns to the front door and continues striking towards the floor.

He claimed: “In summary, the defendant is seen to stamp on and kick Kevin Caster, who is prone on the floor, on seven separate occasions between 19.54 and 20.17. Kevin Caster appears to react with bodily movement on each of those occasions. He is last seen to show any movement at 20.17.”

The couple’s relationship was described by Mr Shafi as volatile with arguments and low-level violence upon each other and that they had abused drugs and alcohol and police had attended their home in relation to domestic disturbances.

Mr Shafi added that on the day in question witnesses had heard arguing and the defendant claiming her husband had beaten her and another had stated she had heard Pauline Caster say, ‘Are you hurting you b*****d?’ and that the defendant had been moving aggressively, and another stated the defendant had screamed for help as she said her husband was dead.

The accused allegedly told a paramedic that Mr Caster had been involved in an altercation while he had been out and when he returned he had taken tablets.

Mr Shafi also said phone evidence included an audio recording which had captured the couple talking about a threesome and the defendant, now of Harmony Way, Catcliffe, had been upset about another woman.

He told the jury: “The prosecution are under no duty to establish a motive. Nonetheless, you may wish to take into account that the defendant had expressed sexual jealousy and anger and resentment towards Kevin Caster both on the day of these tragic events and indeed in the days and weeks before.”

The trial continues.