A volunteer coastguard is accused of murdering his live-in partner by running her over and then attempting to stage her death as a suicide, a court heard.
Rowan Sutton, 31, allegedly mowed down Aimee Pike, 22, in the countryside and then transported her body to another location before placing it on a wall to fake a road collision, Plymouth Crown Court was told. Prosecutor James Dawes KC stated that Sutton filmed a passing van and then placed Pike's body on the road, engaging in a one-sided conversation with her as the vehicle approached to make it appear as a car crash.
Sutton reportedly feared losing access to the couple's child after their separation, which occurred approximately four weeks before Pike's death. The court heard that the couple continued to live in the same flat in West Charleton, Devon, despite their breakup. The prosecution alleges that Sutton was prone to "bouts of intense anger" and exhibited "controlling and coercive" behavior toward Pike.
According to the prosecution, Sutton had spread false rumors that Pike was suicidal, telling her family members and coastguard colleagues that she was erratic and suffering from mental health issues. "That's because he planned to fake her suicide but in fact he killed her and made it look like suicide," Dawes told the jury.
The court also heard allegations that three weeks before her death, Sutton sexually assaulted Pike as she slept and filmed the act. Pike's death occurred in the early hours of April 23, 2025, after Sutton drove her to a caravan in Loddiswell, where she intended to spend the night alone. Investigators believe Sutton ran her down in his Land Rover in the darkness. The prosecutor indicated that Sutton then moved Pike's body before transporting it in his Skoda to the A379 Embankment Road near Kingsbridge.
Sutton denies murdering Pike and the alleged sexual assault. The trial is ongoing, and the jury is scheduled to visit the scene with the judge and legal teams.
