Murder victim was infatuated with Prince Charles, court hears

A vulnerable woman believed she had a YouTube relationship with the Prince of Wales before she was murdered by her friend, a court heard.

Mee Kuen Chong was allegedly attacked in her Wembley home by Jemma Mitchell last June and then carried off in a large blue suitcase and left in Devon.

The Old Bailey heard Ms Chong believed she could communicate with Charles through the video-sharing website.

Ms Mitchell, from Willesden, north-west London, denies murder.

The trial previously heard how Ms Mitchell - a devout Christian - fell out with her friend over money before the killing on 11 June 2021.

The defendant is accused of hiring a car and dumping Ms Chong's decapitated body over 200 miles (approx 322km) away in Salcombe in Devon, where it was discovered.

On Friday, prosecutor Lucy Organ read out a series of statements from people who knew Ms Chong - who was known as Deborah.

Doctor Alyson Callan said the 67-year-old had a "perceived relationship" with Charles when he was the Prince of Wales and believed she could communicate with him through YouTube, the court was told.

On 1 March 2021, Ms Chong was referred by the Fixated Threat Assessment Centre at Buckingham Palace to the Brent community mental health team, Dr Callan said.

Dr Callan, who is a consultant psychiatrist with the Brent team, said: "The referral was made when Mee sent a number of letters addressed to Prince Charles and Boris Johnson.

"The contents of the letters contained nothing alarming but they were bizarre, suggesting she was having another episode of mental illness."

The psychiatrist said Ms Chong was also referred in 2017 after being admitted to a mental health unit.

Two days before Ms Chong was reported missing, her lodger David Klein requested a carer for her, the doctor said.

Retired carpenter Michael McGreal, who went to the same church as Ms Chong and did work for her, said she was worried about climate change and had "strong political views".

He said she would talk about leaving her house to the homeless and introduced Ms Mitchell as a "friend".

Former lodger and evangelist Lorenia Alvaranqa said: "Deborah was very passionate about politicians. There were times when I thought she would physically hit me, although this never transpired."

She described the pensioner as "quite frightening" so she moved out in November 2020.

On learning Ms Chong was missing, Ms Alvaranqa said: "I felt something bad had happened to Deborah. I was concerned about Deborah because she did not take much care when she met and spoke to strangers."

The court also heard evidence about an incident on the day Ms Mitchell allegedly made a 500-mile (approx 800 km) round trip to dump Ms Chong's body in Devon.

Lee Gardin, a former AA repairman, was called to change the wheel on her car when she pulled into a garage in Malborough near Salcombe with a flat tyre, the jury was told.

He said when he arrived she had appeared "confused" and "asked me not to put the wheel in the boot which I thought was a bit strange".

Mr Gardin added: "There was an odd smell from the vehicle, it was a musty smell as if someone is staying overnight living in the vehicle with all the windows up with no ventilation or airflow. A very odd smell.

"It was not something I had smelt before."

The trial continues.

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