Donald Patience may have been lying dead in his Radcliffe home for a number of days, a court has heard.

The 45-year-old was found dead at his home on Ainsworth Road, by police in August last year.

Ian Connell, 39, is on trial for his murder at Manchester Crown Court.

Today, Friday, the court heard evidence from forensic pathologist Dr Philip Lumb, who undertook Mr Patience’s post-mortem examination.

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Dr Lumb said that he believed Mr Patience’s cause of death to be pressure to the neck.

He said he was called to the address on Ainsworth Road by GMP on August 22 at 6.37pm and described the property as “very cluttered and quite chaotic”.

Mr Patience’s body was found inside a duvet cover at the bottom of his stairs, and he was curled up in a loose foetal position facing down.

Dr Lumb said that Mr Patience’s body was already in a state of hypostasis however said that it “seems he had been deceased resting on his back for a period of time and then moved”.

The post-mortem was conducted at the Royal Oldham Hospital on the morning of August 23.

Dr Lumb said that he noticed the whites of Mr Patience’s eyes looked like they had haemorrhaged leading to what is called petechiae which can be caused by asphyxiation.

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Rigor mortis was not present in any of his muscles which indicated that he had been dead for more than 36 hours.

On the lower right part of Mr Patience’s neck, there was a vague linear mark, and it was found that his larynx was fractured.

On an internal examination, there was more extensive bruising to the neck.

Dr Lumb also pointed out that on Mr Patience’s left shoulder, there was bruising which could be from a struggle but could also have just been caused from a fall.

The toxicology report found that Mr Patience’s blood alcohol level was found in excess of twice the legal limit for driving and for the average social drinker, would be significantly intoxicated.

Dr Lumb’s conclusion of his findings was “he unlikely died on the same day he was found, and it’s likely he died on August 20 due to decomposition changes”.

During the hearing, the court and jurors heard that Connell had lived at Muamba House in Bolton, which is a hostel for the homeless.

Karl Williams appeared on video link to the court as a witness as he was a resident of Muamba House at the time.

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He told the court that he was sat in the TV room at the time when another resident, Kevin Hampson, received a phone call from who he believed to be Ian Connell.

Questioning Mr Williams, Michael Hayton KC, prosecuting, asked Williams what he heard Hampson say on the phone to Connell.

Mr Williams said: “He said ‘you think you killed your boss’.”

Hampson then said, “you either hand yourself in or you get out of Dodge”.

Alexander Leach KC, defending, asked Mr Williams if he could hear who or what was being said on the other end of the phone, in which he replied no.

Mr Leach then questioned Mr Williams as to why he didn’t contact the police if he thought Connell was confessing to a murder.

Mr Williams said: “I just didn’t believe it.”

The jury was then presented with a simplified version of the police interview with Connell after he was arrested.

Connell was asked if he had anything to do with Mr Patience’s death in which he replied: “I would have told you, I loved that man like a f****** father.

“All that man has done is support me through everything.

“I will go and find the man who has done this, I will bring him to you, he will still be breathing, I promise you that.

“I ain’t f****** done it, the only way I can find him is if you let me go.”

Connell denies murdering the divorced father-of-three.

He has also pleaded not guilty to an alternative count of manslaughter.