A man who bludgeoned his wife and an elderly pensioner to death during a psychotic episode triggered by LSD has been convicted of murder.

Daniel Appleton, 38, was heard shouting "I could murder you" before he beat his wife Amy, 32, to death with a metal pole on their driveway on December 22 2019.

He also attacked pensioner Sandy Seagrave, 76, outside his home in Crawley Down, West Sussex, with her own walking stick after she confronted him.

An eyewitness told Hove Trial Centre in East Sussex she saw Appleton wave the stick above his head as he stood over her lifeless body before he shouted a victory speech.

Appleton reportedly looked "huge, bold and puffed up" like the "Incredible Hulk" as he laid into his wife.

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Police were called to the home where they found Appleton in a pool of his own blood in the kitchen just days before the pair were due to celebrate Christmas.

A jury heard from a forensic pharmacologist who said Appleton’s behaviour was likely to be as a result of (251) NBOMe – a highly potent synthetic version of LSD.

He denied taking the drugs but did tell the jury his mental health deteriorated prior to the brutal bloody attack.

On the second day of his evidence, Lewis Power QC, for Appleton, asked the 38-year-old how he felt about the deaths and he offered an emotional apology to the families of the women he killed from the witness box.

Appleton said: “I'm devastated. Absolutely devastated by what has happened.

"I don't know where, if they are here, or where they are, but I just want Amy's family to know that I'm devastated by what has happened and that I didn't mean to hurt anyone.

"Amy was very special to us all. She was loving and caring and she was just always so happy. Everyone loved Amy.

"I just want to say that I'm devastated for all the families that have been involved.

"Devastated for the loss of Mrs Seagrave and I can't bring myself to imagine the trauma that they have gone through and I'm so very sorry.

"I know sorry's not good enough but I haven't got words for any of this.

"It's so very tragic."

The night before the murders, Appleton went on a night out to London with his friends, who he said were his guardian angels.

Appleton said he remembered his wife making a hysterical phone call to his parents as he lay silent and motionless on their sofa.

He brought her a cup of tea the next morning before his mood changed and he asked Amy to tell him she loved him.

Appleton told the court: "I seem to remember being in the bedroom.

"Amy was in bed and I said to her, Tell me you love me and you wanna have kids with me. And I said that loud.

"I believe she went to the front door and opened the door and went outside shouting, 'I love Daniel and I want to have kids with him'."

He went on: "I shut the door and Amy tried to get back in.

"We were just to-ing and fro-wing at the front door and she said, 'Why won't you let me in?'

"I remember going outside. I remember seeing Amy on the floor and thinking she was hurt. I don't remember going over to her. I seem to remember people but I can't remember where."

Appleton claimed to have no memory of Mrs Seagrave or her stick.

Jurors took two days to reach a unanimous guilty verdict on both murders and Appleton will be sentenced next month.

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