A MURDER suspect accused of killing a married couple in their Mersea home has been described as a helpful and reliable man who has "a good sense of right and wrong".
Luke D’Wit is accused of poisoning Stephen and Carol Baxter, 61 and 64, who lived in Victory Road and ran a shower mat firm called Cazsplash.
D’Wit, 34, of West Mersea, was an employee of the Baxter’s business and denies murdering of Mr and Mrs Baxter.
He is currently on trial at Chelmsford Crown Court where, on day 14 of proceedings, a jury heard from a character witness.
The defence called Heidi Cornish to the stand, who told the court she had known D’Wit for 14 years and met him through the Mersea Carnival Association.
He appeared as a rather introverted person to her and just “sat in a corner” during the group’s meeting, she told the jury.
Ms Cornish said: “If you need help, he is there. He likes to be involved where people need help. If you need help and when people needed help he’s the first person to say ‘right, what can I do?’.
“If he is convinced he can do something for a person, he will jump in and ask ‘is there anything I can do?'.
“He has a good sense of right and wrong.”
Andrew Culver, the executor of Carol’s and Stephen’s will, who is married to Carol’s daughter Rachel, also took the stand.
He told the jury he was suspicious of the document, which was found after the Baxter’s death on Easter Sunday 2023.
The document was formulated as a will, saying their “dear friend” D’Wit would become a person of significant control.
He said: “I found it a very odd letter. The first line was ‘in the event of our deaths’. I know that is not something Carol and Stephen would normally write.
“There’s a lot of things in there that do not quite make sense.”
It also concerned him the document did not include full names, as did how difficult it was to get in touch with a solicitor who allegedly took on the case for the Baxter’s daughter Ellena.
Martin Ellis, the solicitor, is a fake persona made up by D’Wit, according to the prosecution, in order to manipulate the family. Something D'Wit denies.
On Wednesday, the prosecution finished their cross-examination of D’Wit, who first took the stand on Monday.
The trial continues.
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