Father has no memory of stabbing eight-year-old daughter, court told

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 has 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, prosecutor Karim Khalil QC said the 55-year-old was struggling to cope with his ex-partner Miss Taundry's decision to start a relationship with another woman.

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

Mr 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."