'Joker' made pillow with face of ex he 'tried to kill', court told

Anthony Yewman, 45, of Romford, Essex, is on trial at Southampton Crown Court accused of the attempted murder of his ex-girlfriend and alternative charges of attempted GBH and intentional strangulation.

The pillow features an image of Heath Ledger’s The Joker with the slogan “Why so serious?” with the face of the woman, blurred out by police, who Yewman referred to as “his Harley Quinn”, attached to the top.

Matthew Farmer, prosecuting, said the pair had a “difficult” on-off relationship for about two years with the defendant becoming “increasingly obsessed” with the complainant.

He told the jury: “He referred to himself as The Joker, that is The Joker from Batman, he identified as The Joker, and he calls her his Harley Quinn.

“Some of you may know, there is The Joker, the arch-nemesis of Batman and there is his sometime girlfriend Harley Quinn.”

Anthony Yewman made a pillow with pictures of The Joker and his then-girlfriend's face on it, the court was told (Image: Hampshire Police)

Mr Farmer also described how Yewman had “stalked” the woman after their relationship had broken down including by “camping out” in her garden for a number of days, refusing to leave until she called the police and he was arrested.

The jury has now been shown a photograph of the shelter that Yewman had created at her home in Fordingbridge.

A photograph was also shown of chalk graffiti by the defendant on her wall which states: “Met my soulmate when met you”.

Mr Farmer added: “He became more and more obsessed about her. She describes significant controlling behaviour by him and his stalking was such that she couldn’t get away from him.

“He didn’t allow her to go out to the shops alone without him being present.”

Yewman made a shelter in her garden in Fordingbridge and refused to leave, the court heard (Image: Hampshire Police)

Mr Farmer said that when the woman rejected Yewman, he was angered and attempted to strangle her twice at her home.

Mr Farmer described how she passed out after Yewman was strangling her but came to and saw him attempting to cut his own throat with a craft knife before she told him to stop.

The prosecutor added: “She, helpless, vulnerable and scared after the first attack, describes him lifting her on to the bed, placing both his hands around her neck and trying with all his might to squeeze the life out of her.”

He said that Yewman only stopped when the complainant’s adult daughter banged on the door, causing him to “release his grip on her throat”.

Mr Farmer said that Yewman told police in interview that he had not meant to hurt his partner but had acted in self defence and had only “retaliated after she grabbed him”.

The prosecutor said that Yewman added: “I love her more than anything in the world.”

Yewman, who was in the dock with his hair parted in a curtain style and wearing a blue jumper, denies the charges and the trial continues.