Former Brighton nurse awaits jury's verdict

A former Brighton nurse is expected to learn tomorrow whether the man accused of trying to kill him and of murdering his partner will be convicted by a jury.
Barristers for the prosecution and defence made their closing submissions to the jury in the trial of scaffolder David Kilcullen at the Old Bailey, London, on Friday.
Kilcullen, 46, of The Avenue, Bickley, in the London borough of Bromley, denies trying to kill Chris Bevan, 57, who used to work as a psychiatric nurse in Brighton.
He also denies murdering Gerry Edwards, 59, on Tuesday 3 March at the couple’s home in Page Heath Villas, Bickley.
According to the prosecution, Kilcullen went to the house to steal from Mr Edwards, who was HIV positive and frail.
He thought that Mr Edwards lived alone and saw him as easy pickings and he was surprised when Mr Bevan came downstairs.
Kilcullen, an alcoholic, claims that he had been sexually assaulted by both men while he was sleeping and that he acted in self-defence.
He went home and said that he was angry that the men had taken advantage of him. It gave him flashbacks, he said, having been raped by a friend of his father at the age of 14.
Kilcullen said that he went back to confront the pair and to try to blackmail them. He was in debt and wanted cash but he denied that he intended to stab them.
Mr Bevan, who spent months in hospital recovering from the stabbing, refuted the claims of sexual assault.
The jury is due to retire tomorrow morning (Monday 14 December).