THE daughter of a couple found dead in their Mersea home stumbled upon a “weird” will which left the business to a man now standing trial for murder, a court heard.
Ellena Baxter, the daughter of Carol and Stephen Baxter, gave evidence in court on Monday and recounted the moment she “went into panic mode” after finding her parents dead in their conservatory.
The court heard last week how Miss Baxter and Luke D’Wit had to use a hammer to smash their way into the house after they had not heard from Mr and Mrs Baxter for two days.
It is alleged that D’Wit, 34, poisoned Mr and Mrs Baxter and then rewrote their will so he could inherit their business, a shower mat company called Cazsplash.
Chelmsford Crown Court heard on Monday how Baxter - with D'Wit in the house with her - scrambled to find her parents' valuables, wills, and bank documents so she could keep them safe.
She said: “After they passed, I kind of panicked.
"[My nan] called me back panicking, saying all the funeral stuff is in the house, so that’s when I went to look through the documents."
After finding official documents in her mother's office, Miss Baxter took the wills and explained she intended to close her parents' bank accounts.
She said: "It was panic mode – I took my parents' car keys, took the wills, took my dad’s glasses.
"I realised I would have to close the bank accounts - my head was filled with everything you’d have to do after someone died.
"I wanted to get a page from my parents' bank statements so I could close the banks down.
"In the folder, there was a letter with another will in it, which said 'to be opened by Ellena Baxter in the event Carol Baxter and Stephen Baxter have passed’.
"It was printed on an envelope - I thought that was weird, but I didn't think much into that."
Mrs Ayling KC asked: "When you saw it, what did you think it was?"
Miss Baxter replied: "I don’t know - I [already] knew my parents' plans for the business.
"I did think [the will] was weird because it wasn’t very official."
The trial continues.
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