Rowan Sutton, a coastguard, is on trial for the murder of his former partner, Aimee Pike, after a jury heard disturbing details about the events leading up to her death.
The couple had been together for five years and shared a son. Although they formally split four weeks before Pike’s death, they continued to live in the same flat in West Charleton, Devon.
Prosecutors allege Sutton spread false rumors that Pike was suicidal, informing both her family and his coastguard colleagues that she was suffering from severe mental health issues.
Forensic evidence included two plasters bearing Pike’s DNA and vegetation caught in her hair, while her body was discovered further up the road, suggesting an attempt to stage the scene as a car crash.
The prosecution argued that Sutton’s motive was to retain exclusive access to his son, prompting him to fabricate a suicide scenario and ultimately kill Pike.
Witnesses described Sutton as prone to intense anger and as exerting controlling, coercive behavior toward Pike throughout their relationship.
Three weeks before the fatal incident, Sutton is accused of sexually assaulting Pike while she slept, an act he allegedly recorded on video.
Additional evidence indicated that a secret camera was installed in a clock within a caravan where Pike’s mother was staying, allowing Sutton to monitor the premises.
On the night of April 23, 2025, Pike planned to spend the night alone away from Sutton. He later returned to the flat, parked his vehicle out of camera view, and sent a misleading text claiming she had been unfaithful.
According to the Crown, Sutton left his flat, entered his Land Rover, and drove to the caravan via a route designed to avoid surveillance, leaving his phone behind and removing a dash‑cam to conceal his movements.
Prosecutors contend that Sutton deliberately ran Pike over in the darkness of the countryside, a killing that left no eyewitnesses.
Sutton denies both the murder and the earlier assault. The jury is scheduled to visit the crime scene as the trial continues.
