A man accused of killing his cousin during a violent sex game was has been found not guilty.
A jury heard how Mark Pickford, from Manchester, was found by police asleep in his cousin Dawn Warburton's bed which was covered in blood. Her body was found hanging above him, with rope he admitted owning wrapped around her neck several times.
The court also heard how she had injuries to her body and arms.
According to the Manchester Evening News, Pickford blacked out from an evening of drinking and taking drugs, but admitted to regularly having sex with his cousin.
Evidence brought to the court included text message conversations between the two cousins, including a text Pickford sent Warburton saying:
"You're getting tied up, I will treat you like a random victim, gonna do you Manchester style."
Prosecuters at his trial alleged Mr.Pickford was guilty of assault and manslaughter by gross negligence because he ‘breached his duty of care’ towards Miss Warburton during a sex game.
Pickford denied any wrongdoing, saying their sex was consensual, never violent and was only “ordinary sex”.
The couples picked up contact again last year when Miss Warburton sent a message to her cousin checking in on him, which later turned to talk about sex.
One text saw Miss Warburton write: ‘I scare myself the sort of dirty sex I’m into. It would warp your mind.”
The court heard how Mr.Pickford started travelling 100miles from Manchester to his cousin’s home in Hull every week for sex until her death.
The Hull Daily Mail later reports that on the night of the incident, Pickford told the court how he and his cousin drank Southern Comfort and both took marijuana and crack.
Pickford had no explanation for how his cousin had died, claiming Warburton drugged him with diazepam, knocking him out cold and causing him to have no memories of the events of the night.
Toxicity reports confirmed the presence of diazepam in Pickford’s system, with him telling the court:
"Since finding out I had diazepam, I wonder if Dawn had put one, maybe two, in my can of beer or the bottle of Southern Comfort we were drinking from."
Yahoo News reported how Warburton’s direct family broke down in tears in court when the verdict was read out.
Speaking about the outcome of the case, Detective Wilson said:
"Dawn's family have been incredibly strong and very unified. They have acted with huge dignity. To them, she was Dawn. Yes, she was sometimes misguided, but she was loved by her family regardless. Dawn idolised her kids. She would do anything for them and she wanted to be involved in their future."
