PARAMEDICS struggled for 46 minutes to try and bring Natasha Bradbury back to life, a jury heard on this afternoon (Sept 2)

They applied CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) for more than twice the recommended length of time in the hope of saving her.

But, argued the prosecution at Swansea Crown Court, she had already been beaten to death by her on-off boyfriend Luke George Jones.

Jones, aged 33, a pipe welder, of Haven Drive, Milford Haven, denies murdering Miss Bradbury in the early hours of February 22 at her flat in Imperial Court, High Street, Haverfordwest.

The jury heard today from paramedic Alan Thomas, who was the first to arrive after Jones had dialled 999 and told ambulance control she was not breathing and that her body was already “freezing cold.”

The jury also heard for a second time a recording of the 15 minute call, during which Jones had difficulty explaining where he was.

Eventually, he had to find a letter received by Miss Bradbury and read the address to ambulance control.

Even then Mr Thomas and his colleague had difficulty identifying the location because Flat A was not marked on the front door and was in fact a four storey high building.

Mr Thomas said he had to knock “hard” on the door three times before Jones responded.

He said Jones appeared to be calm but he had a small cut on his left knee and both his hands were blood stained.

Mr Thomas said Jones was bare chested and wore just a pair of shorts. He told them, “It’s my girlfriend.” Then he said she had taken Valium, or too much Valium.

“I asked him where the patient was and he said upstairs, but he was reluctant to lead the way and I walked up ahead of him,” said Mr Thomas.

As the paramedics made their way up the flights of stairs they noticed blood smears and various items strewn on the stairs, including a cabinet.

Inside the lounge on the third floor, he said, there was “glass all over the floor” and he could see that the screen of a television set had been broken.

Miss Bradbury was lying on her back and was very pale. There was blood around her mouth and dried blood inside her nostrils.

And the fingers of her left hand appeared to be misshaped as if they had been fractured.

“There were no obvious signs of life, no pulse,” he added.

A second ambulance crew arrived and Jones was asked to wait outside the lounge.

The paramedics tried a combination of CPR and drugs for 46 minutes but without gaining any response from Miss Bradbury, who was just five feet two inches tall and weighed less than seven stones.

“We decided that she had died. We all agreed she had passed away and it was pointless carrying on,” he added.

Cross examined by Chris Clee QC, the barrister leading Jones’ defence team, Mr Thomas said he was aware that CPR was a vigorous measure that could itself cause injury including fractures to the ribs and even to the breast bone.

But he had 20 years experience as a paramedic and was aware of the dangers.

The prosecution claim that Jones beat Miss Bradbury to death shortly after finding out she had slept with another man.

After his arrest Jones gave police prepared statements in which he said Miss Bradbury had caused the injuries herself by falling down.

The trial continues.