Murdered landlady did not want gay lover to move in (From Wiltshire Times)

Murdered landlady did not want gay lover to move in

The lodger of Antonietta Guarino moved his boyfriend into her house without her permission and had not been paying his rent, a jury heard today.

Antonietta Guarino

Marc Riley, 24, who admitted murdering the 61 year old Italian-born Mrs Guarino yesterday, had asked her if his boyfriend David Carr-Burstow, 20, could move in, but was told no.

Yesterday Bristol Crown Court was told that Carr-Burstow stayed with Riley at Mrs Guarino’s home in Osborne Road over Christmas and after she had returned from visiting family over the festive period, he would climb into Riley’s bedroom through the window so she would not notice.

Carr-Burstow denies murder, but has admitted helping Riley dump her body in the River Avon.

When Mrs Guarino returned after Christmas, she told friends she thought Riley had been having friends over.

Mrs Guarino's daughter Giulietta Bogacz, 35, took the stand yesterday.

Mrs Bogacz told the court: “She phoned me up a couple of days after she had been home after Christmas and told me Marc had taken her to one side and said he wasn’t happy with where his boyfriend was living.

“He wanted his boyfriend to move into her house with them. I said no, she shouldn’t do that.”

Martin Meeke QC asked her if she seemed inclined to allow Carr-Burstow to move in. Mrs Bogacz replied: “No, absolutely not.”

She said it had nothing to do with Marc’s sexuality, she simply did not want to share her house with more than one person. Mrs Bogacz said: “She told him they couldn't move in there together and suggested he start to look for a place where they could move in together.”

Mrs Guarino also mentioned to her friend David West on January 7 that she thought Riley had been having friends round over Christmas.

In a statement to police he said: “While we were chatting, she mentioned again that Marc was having friends round to the house.

“She mentioned this before and after Christmas to me and I could see it was grating on her. She didn’t like it, it wasn’t part of the arrangement. She was very serious about it.

“I got the feeling that something with the lodger Marc Riley had gone wrong. She also believed her bed had been touched or disturbed.”

Another friend, Pamela Wescott, from Calne, told the court that Mrs Guarino had confided in her that Riley, who worked for Virgin Mobile in Trowbridge, had not been paying his rent.

“She did say that she was having problems,”she said.

“He was making excuses and not paying his full rent.”

The trial continues.