A JURY has acquitted a woman accused of murdering a man who was found dead with serious head injuries.

Wendy Marklew, whose last known address was Geraldine Court in Malvern, appeared Birmingham Crown Court for accused of the murder of David McTighe, who was known as Simon.

An initial murder trial started on Wednesday, October 4 and lasted 12 days but the jury could not reach a majority verdict and so a second murder trial begun on Tuesday, October 24.

Marklew was acquitted by a jury after six days.

A spokesman for the Crime Prosecution Service said the jury "could not be sure she had committed the act of murder".

43-year-old David McTighe was found dead at his Redditch home on Monday, June 13 last year.

51-year-old Marklew was charged with murder on Thursday, December 8.

Previously, West Mercia Police extended the time they could question the woman after arresting her on Tuesday, June 21.

A post-mortem examination found Mr McTighe's injury to be suspicious, prompting a police investigation.

She appeared before his honour judge Robert Juckes QC at Worcester Crown Court on Friday, December 9.

At that hearing, Marklew, who wore a dark coat, wept at one point and put her hands over her eyes.

Distraught family members and friends have spoken of their shock and described McTighe as a "top bloke" and "legend".

Police were called to the property by the ambulance service at around 1.40am.