Soldier ‘stabbed girlfriend 11 times while children slept upstairs and told one blood on walls was KETCHUP before trying to kill himself at beauty spot’
Jay Nava, 27, then tried to kill himself, telling a cop who intervened to save his life 'I want to die', jurors were told
A SOLDIER on leave who stabbed his girlfriend 11 times told a child that blood on the walls was "ketchup" after she found the young mum lying dead under a blanket, a court heard.
Jay Nava, 27, tried to kill himself after butchering Natasha Wake, telling a cop who intervened to save his life: "I want to die", jurors were told.
Nava is said to have rowed with on-off girlfriend Natasha, 26, after she discovered he was investigated by police for an alleged sexual assault.
She was stabbed with such force six of the wounds went through her torso and out of her back.
One young child was ";woken by a scream" and came downstairs to ask Nava for a drink, jurors heard.
Prosecutor Sally Howes QC said "She saw him in the kitchen. He had a knife in his trousers. There was red spots on the blade and handle.
"She recognised the knife as the one Natasha used to cut onions. (Nava) had blood on his shirt and trousers.
"She saw Natasha lying on the floor in the lounge with a blanket covering her.
"(She told police) the blanket had big, medium, and small red dots on, there was red on the walls.
"Nava gave her orange juice and said 'Go upstairs and don't come back down'.
"In the morning she asked why he had a knife in his trousers and why Natasha was on the floor.
"He said they were being silly, Natasha was asleep and it was ketchup on the walls."
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The squaddie took the children to his grandparents' home.
He then contacted his mum in Australia, confessed to killing Natasha and said he was going to kill himself, the court heard.
Cops found him just in time to revive him as they searched beauty spot Hengistbury Head near Christchurch, Dorset.
Nava began a relationship with Nationwide bank worker Natasha in January 2013, the court heard.
He joined the Army two years later and served with the Royal Artillery's 29 Commando Regiment based in Plymouth, Devon.
Nava left three notes at her home saying 'why he stabbed her was beyond him', apologising to her mother and saying he planned to kill himself.
Miss Howes said police found Natasha wrapped in a blood-stained duvet in a cupboard under the stairs at her home in Bournemouth.
She said: "The body was curled up into the foetal position. Her body was rigid, her eyes were open and fixed.
"She was not breathing, she had no pulse, she was very cold to the touch and completely unresponsive."
The barrister said police found three notes written by Nava, including one apologising to Natasha's mum Shelley.
It said: "Tasha died at 11. I was ashamed to take my own life. She was the only person that I loved and loved me.
"Shelley, I'm sorry for hurting your daughter. I'll take my own life soon, I loved her. Why I did this is beyond me... that's why I killed myself."
Another read: "I wish I had a gun to shoot myself, if I did it would have been done by now but I needed to get all the kids away as they shouldn't see this.
"I'm very weak and scared, I have been for a long time now. I'll see you again Tasha in the next world x."
Nava denies murder. The trial continues at Winchester crown court.
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