William Billingham is accused of murdering eight-year-old at his home in West Midlands

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

A man accused of murdering his eight-year-old daughter by plunging a kitchen knife into her chest claims to have no memory of the alleged stabbing, a jury heard.

William Billingham attacked “trusting and defenceless” Mylee Billingham at his home moments after threatening to kill her mother, Tracey Taundry, Birmingham crown court was told.

Opening the case against Billingham, the prosecutor, Karim Khalil QC, said the 55-year-old was struggling to cope with the decision by Taundry, his former partner, to start a relationship with a woman.

Giving an overview of the case, the crown’s counsel said jury members were likely to have to consider Billingham’s mental state when Mylee was fatally injured at his home in Brownhills, near Walsall.

Khalil told jurors: “Moments before he stabbed his daughter to death, Tracey had arrived at the defendant’s house to collect her daughter Mylee.

“Whilst at the front door the defendant threatened to kill Tracey with the same knife and she had run off a short distance.

“The defendant did provide an account in interview of the time leading up to these terrible events, but he claimed to have no memory of the events themselves.

“He has therefore provided little by way of explanation for what he did.”