A woman told a murder trial jury how she pretended to be dead as she was stabbed by her sister’s housemate Redvers James Bickley.
Shannen Denton – whose sister Tyler died in the knife attack at Rhyl last September - told Mold Crown Court that the attack upon herself came to an end because she believed Bickley thought he had killed her.
Earlier:
- Tyler Denton murder trial: Knifeman 'ripped apart the world of the Denton family'
- Tyler Denton was stabbed to death by Rhyl housemate, murder trial hears
Giving evidence from behind a screen, said that she and her sister Cody bought food and drink ready for the birthday celebration for Tyler’s partner Hayley Barnett.
They were having a good time, and Bickley arrived home at the house in Llys Aderyn Du, Rhyl.
She said Bickley knew about Tyler’s relationship.
Tyler was slightly annoyed with Bickley and they left to go for a ride and he stayed in the house.
She said Tyler received missed calls from him.
When they returned to the house Cody said she heard groaning.
There was blood on the floor, and on the light switch and he had cut hands.
Tyler was not too impressed, was not happy and the atmosphere was awkward.
Bickley’s eyes were rolling and he was swaying.
He left slamming the door and then returned, sat on the stairs and Shannen said she and Haley were going to take Cody home.
As they were getting ready to go he got up and stabbed Cody in the face.
He pulled her to the floor and was stabbing her.
She thought he was punching her and did not realise he had a knife initially.
Tyler heard the commotion, she went to help Cody who was screaming on the floor as Bickley was attacking her.
She said Tyler went to help Cody and he was “getting them both”.
Shannen said she realised what was happening and pushed Bickley off. He stumbled back into the TV.
“We were scuffling,” she said.
"As I came out of the house he stabbed me to the back of the head.
"It hurt. It felt like a punch at the time and she was knocked to the floor."
When she got out she saw Cody and Tyler on the floor.
Bickley was on top of them, attacking them, and they were “all over the place”.
He was “going for gold”, she said.
“I thought he was punching them, loads, quickly.”
Shannen said: “He wanted them dead.”
She said she ran towards Maes y Gog, screaming that he had a knife.
They were running as fast as they could and went to a house to get help.
She said they went to a house with a white front door and could hear someone behind – she turned and saw Bickley.
He was saying “Red Revenge, Red Returns”
She was stabbed a number of times and he seemed controlled.
“I thought he was trying to kill me,” she said. It was like he knew where he wanted to hit her and what he wanted to do, she explained.
She was stabbed the head, back and neck and she lay there, she closed her eyes and stopped crying, and lay motionless.
The attack stopped “because he thought he had killed me,” she said.
When she opened her eyes she said he had run off and she rang her dad and asked for help.
Her father advised her to call 999 but she did not do that because she heard Bickley coming back.
A woman took her in and phoned 999.
Shannen said she looked out, saw police had arrived and her brother’s car.
She went out and was approached by police who gave her first aid and she was taken by ambulance to Glan Clwyd Hospital.
She was wheeled to spend some time with her sister Tyler and her dad.
KFC worker Redvers James Bickley is said to have become obsessed with his house-mate Tyler Denton who was in a relationship with another woman – and he stabbed her to death when he felt ignored at a birthday party, it is alleged..
Bickley had changed to black clothes and also stabbed her two sisters Cody and Shannen.
Paul Denton, the father of the sisters, was called to the scene and he was also stabbed on a housing estate in Rhyl, North Wales as he and Cody tackled him.
The murder trial jury at Mold Crown Court heard how Bickley loved Tyler and was obsessed with her.
It emerged that he had seen messages Tyler had sent to her partner Hayley Barnett about him at the party– and became enraged, it was alleged.
Police who went to his home found notebook entries in which he had written: “You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain. my younger self was so full of morals things he would not do, lines he would not cross, I’ve crossed them all, there can be no rules or lines if you are to be truly free you must be willing to do whatever it takes to make the world a better place.”
“It becomes easier once you separate yourself become two people in a way, one persona to blend in and the other to do the unspeakable things that must be done.”
Bickley, 21, of LLys Aderyn Du in Rhyl, denies murdering Tyler and attempting to murder her dad Paul and her two sisters Shannen and Cody in September of last year.
Proceeding
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here