'Obsessed' man, 52, who 'stole ex-lover's knickers to cuddle at night’ ‘beat love rival, 66, until he was unconscious then put him in BMW and set it ablaze to make his death look like a suicide'
- Mark Chilman is accused of murdering Neil Parkinson, 66, in Worcestershire
- Police found Mr Parkinson's body in a burnt car in a lay-by on December 12, 2020
- Chilman had been broken up with by a woman who went on to date Mr Parkinson
A jealous man who allegedly murdered his love rival in a burning car to make his death look like suicide stole his ex-girlfriend's knickers which he 'cuddled every night', a court heard.
Mark Chilman, 52, is accused of battering Neil Parkinson, 66, before putting the unconscious former company director in his 4x4 car and setting it on fire.
Mr Parkinson's body was discovered in the flaming BMW X5 in a lay-by in Ankerdine Road, Cotheridge, Worcs., on December 12 last year.
Emergency crews rushed to put out the fire but Mr Parkinson, of Clifton upon Teme, Worcs., was pronounced dead at the scene.
A post mortem revealed Mr Parkinson had suffered a smashed skull and was alive when he was put in the driving seat of the car before it was torched.
A court heard Chilman murdered Mr Parkinson after finding out he was in a relationship with his ex-partner Juliet Adcock.
'Obsessive' Mark Chilman, 52, is accused of killing Neil Parkinson (pictured), 66, who was discovered after police were called to a lay-by in Ankerdine Road, near the village of Cotheridge, Worcestershire, at 10.30pm on December 12, 2020
Mr Parkinson, of Clifton upon Teme, Worcestershire, was pronounced dead at the scene amid the torched wreckage of his BMW X5 4x4. Pictured: Police at the scene
She had dumped Chilman in June last year but he remained 'obsessed' with the mum-of-three and even used a tracker on her car to follow her, jurors were told.
On one occasion Chilman let himself into her £800,000 farm in Bromyard, Herefordshire, and took two pairs of her underwear and a sweater.
Jurors heard Chilman also bought the same perfume she used which he sprayed on her clothes.
Mark Heywood QC, prosecuting, said Chilman slept with the garments which he 'cuddled every night'.
Prosecutors say Chilman made 'plans to kill Mr Parkinson, to make it appear he had committed suicide' in order to 'engineer a reconciliation with the woman he could not bear to see rejecting him'. Pictured: Police at the scene
He told Worcester Crown Court: 'He explained that he kept the items under his pillow.
'He sprayed her top with a perfume Juliet Adcock used and which he had bought on the internet.
'He also kept that under the pillow and cuddled it every night before going to sleep.'
He explained to police that this was because he was 'still in love with her' and it 'reminded him of her'.
Mr Heywood said Chilman also left 'morbid items' including plaques for dogs that had died and a noose 'to hang himself with' around Ms Adcock's farm.
The court heard that after Chilman was arrested he told police he had 'wanted to chop off Neil's c**k with a penknife', and said 'Mr Parkinson was going to kill himself', but denied any wrongdoing
Chilman, of Pencombe, Herefordshire, denies murder.
The trial continues.
