“MY girlfriend’s just died and you’re arresting me for murder?”

That’s what the man accused of murdering Beth Aspey asked officers when he was detained just two hours after first alerting the emergency services to her death.

Ben Shand denies murdering the 34-year-old, who died on April 30, 2020.

On the second day of his trial, jurors were played:

  • The 999 call from Ben Shand’s mother after he had told her Beth was dead
  • The call from the 999 operator to Ben Shand
  • Body-worn camera footage of Ben Shand being questioned by officers around an hour-and-a-half after emergency services were alerted to Ms Aspey’s death
  • The moment Ben Shand was arrested on suspicion of murdering Beth Aspey

The jury also heard live evidence from the paramedics and police officers who responded to the incident on Belford Court, Reading, earlier this year.

A 999 call from Shand’s mother in which she told an emergency operator that Beth Aspey was dead was first played to the jury.

This call was made after Shand called his mother at 4.12pm. Yesterday, the court heard how Shand first alerted his friend, Jay Wilde, to Beth’s death at around 3.30pm.

Shand’s mother requested an ambulance and the police following her phone call with her son, who told her Beth was dead.

READ MORE: Everything you may have missed from day one of Beth Aspey trial

During the call, Shand’s mother appeared distressed and told the operator about her conversation with her son, and the relationship between her and Beth Aspey.

Jurors then heard a call from the Ambulance Service to Shand which took place at 4.27pm.

The defendant could be heard crying. He told the operator Beth was not breathing and that she was ‘cold’.

Shand confirmed there were signs of injury, claiming Aspey had fallen over and hurt herself.

The operator asked if there appeared to be any signs of violence. After a long pause, Shand said Aspey had a black eye.

He claimed he had just woken up when he found her in the bathroom, claiming Aspey was an alcoholic.

“I can’t believe this man, I can’t believe it”, Shand was heard saying down the phone to the operator.

READ MORE: Drug users raided shop with fake gun to 'feed their addictions'

The call ended with the operator telling Shand to stay strong after she told him police would have to ask him some questions as Aspey’s death was unexpected.

Next, jurors heard from South Central Ambulance Service paramedic Robert Dorey.

Mr Dorey said Shand opened the door when he and a colleague rang the buzzer at Aspey’s flat.

When they gained entry to the flat, they saw Aspey on the floor with her bottom half in the hallway and her top half in the bathroom.

The paramedic said there was some faeces on the floor.

Shand was asked by Mr Dorey what had happened, and Shand told the paramedic he had left the flat without a key and forced his way in through a window after there was no answer at the door.

This is when Shand found Aspey in the bathroom, the court heard.

Stephen Buck, a paramedic who also attended the incident alongside Robert Dorey, was next to give evidence.

READ MORE: Body found in search for missing woman

He declared Beth Aspey dead at 4.41pm after finding her cold and unresponsive.

Mr Buck also claimed he saw blood on Shand’s hand whilst he was responding to the incident.

The jury was shown bodycam footage recorded by a police officer which showed Shand sitting on Aspey’s bed with his head in his hands talking to paramedics about what had happened.

During this clip, Shand repeats his claims that he found Aspey after breaking back into her flat having left to go to the shops without a key.

Eve Treliving, a Reading-based police officer, next gave evidence alongside more bodycam footage.

This footage again showed Shand in Aspey’s room at 4.55pm, around half-an-hour before the conversation which was recorded in which Shand spoke to a paramedic.

In this clip, he said he had ‘no idea’ how he got the cut on his hand.

Shand broke down crying saying he ‘thought she was going to wake up’.

The accused then called his mother to ask her to come to the scene as he needed ‘someone to talk to.’

When questioned by police about finding Aspey, Shand said her body was ‘so cold’.

READ MORE: Four arrested after fight outside Reading restaurant

“This isn’t sinking in, this is not sinking in”, Shand told officers.

He could later be heard saying: “I can’t believe it, I just can’t believe it, man” to an acquaintance down the phone.

In this call, he expressed how he ‘could have helped’ Aspey had he been awake earlier in the day.

The clip ended at 5.33pm. Shand was arrested on suspicion of murder at 6.25pm.

PC David Bradbrook was next to give evidence from the witness box. Footage from his bodycam showed the arrest taking place.

Shand was cautioned and handcuffed. He said: “My girlfriend’s just died and you’re arresting me for murder?” before he was led away from Aspey’s bedroom.

Officers noted a set of keys hanging off the back of the front door as they exited the house.

Another police officer, Oliver Hawkins, gave evidence on the second day of the trial. He also attended the scene on April 30.

He agreed that Shand told officers “I can’t get the image of when I found her out of my head” after he was taken into custody at 8pm the same evening.

On day one of the trial, the jury heard:

  • The prosecution's claim that Ben Shand attacked Beth Aspey with a hammer following an argument.
  • How he would later send texts and voice messages to Aspey's phone asking why she was not letting him into her house, something the prosecution claimed was indicative of him laying the groundwork for an alibi.
  • How Mr Shand originally claimed Aspey must have fallen in her bathroom prior to her death
  • How Shand later revoked this statement as he was 'shocked' and 'devastated' at the time he told authorities about what he believed had happened.
  • Scientific evidence sourced from the prosecution's investigations suggested there was no proof another person entered Aspey's flat prior to her death.

The trial continues.

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