A jury at Plymouth Crown Court has heard details of phone evidence and the moments emergency services arrived at the scene of the alleged murder of 22-year-old Aimee Pike.

Rowan Sutton, 31, of West Charleton Court, is standing trial charged with the murder of Ms Pike on April 23, 2025, which he denies.

He is also accused of sexually assaulting Ms Pike on April 1, 2025.

While maintaining his not guilty plea to murder, Sutton has pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice, admitting he subsequently staged a false hit-and-run suicide scene on Embankment Road in Kingsbridge.

Sutton now accepts that he struck and killed Ms Pike with his Land Rover, but maintains it was a "tragic accident" when he was searching for Ms Pike after she became upset and exited his vehicle.

Prosecuting counsel James Dawes KC detailed how data from the Wi-Fi router at Sutton's home flat mapped the movements of his mobile phone on the night of the killing.

The court heard the phone remained connected to the home network while Sutton allegedly carried out initial movements, and Mr Dawes suggested that if Sutton had been concerned for Ms Pike’s welfare, he would have taken the device with him.

Sutton’s phone later disconnected from the Wi-Fi router when he was captured on CCTV transferring to his Skoda vehicle, allegedly to retrieve Ms Pike’s body and transport her to Embankment Road.

Data showed Ms Pike’s mobile phone was active in the Loddiswell area until approximately 3:00am before it disconnected permanently. Her phone has never been recovered.

Mr Dawes told the jury that Sutton spent over a year maintaining the story of a hit-and-run suicide before changing his plea to perverting the course of justice on July 6, 2026.

"He has admitted it because the weight of the evidence has forced him into an admission of guilt," Mr Dawes stated.

Giving evidence, Ms Pike’s father described receiving an urgent phone call from Sutton at 4:48am stating that “Aimee had been hit by a car and he needed help”.

Upon arriving at Embankment Road, Ms Pike's father found Sutton performing chest compressions on his daughter in the road.

"Rowan asked me to take over CPR... I followed his instructions," Mr Pike told the court.

The court heard Sutton told Mr Pike that Ms Pike had jumped in front of a passing delivery van.

Under cross-examination by defence barrister Ignatius Hughes KC, Ms Pike’s father agreed that his daughter had experienced mental health challenges during her teenage years and had a history of going for long walks late at night wearing dark clothing.

Mr Pike emphasised that she had matured significantly since becoming a mother, stating: "[Her son] became the most important thing to her... She was very caring and looking out for her family".

“We often disagreed, often argue,” he said, “but I would always give her a hug and tell her I loved her, and we saw each other a lot. I know she wasn’t happy in her relationship.”

He added that Ms Pike “liked her alone time” and stressed that walking helped her clear her head, saying they “had that in common”.

Ms Pike’s grandmother also gave evidence in court. She recounted one incident on April 3, 2025, when Sutton had messaged her saying Ms Pike was “a danger to herself” but claimed she had spoken to Ms Pike and replied, “she seems angry but stable”.

“Aimee had quite a few friends; she didn’t get to see them so much,” explained Ms Pike’s grandmother. “Rowan didn’t let her see her friends; he tried to cut her off.”

Following this, Ms Pike’s sister presented to the court.

When asked about Ms Pike and Sutton’s relationship, the sister stated they would argue “50% of the time”.

“Aimee was very vocal in arguments; she stood up for what she believed in, but she was also reactive, unfortunately, so if she was provoked, it could blow out of the water.”

Ms Pike’s sister described an incident following her own engagement, claiming Sutton “had an opinion”. She stated that Sutton had texted her to say her partner was “too old for me”, adding that “my brain hadn’t developed properly and it wasn’t appropriate to take such a big step.”

When the two sisters later conversed about the texts received, Sutton texted again to ask “why she was texting Aimee” and “why she asked whether he was still there”.

The sister recalled that after Ms Pike and Sutton’s breakup in March, Ms Pike was “happier, more outgoing”, and had more time for friends and family.

She added that Sutton wanted to “tell people together” and said he was blackmailing Ms Pike.

The prosecution asked whether she knew whether Ms Pike had sought legal advice regarding custody.

“She asked me for money to see a solicitor to ensure she had some custody following the breakup. That was two or three weeks before she died,” the sister responded.

Cross-examining, Mr Hughes read out part of the sister’s original statement: “Aimee was the easiest and hardest. Nicest and meanest, it depended what mood she was in”.

Ms Pike’s sister admitted to the court her sister was not perfect, but asserted “none of us are, and we are allowed those imperfections”.

The defence position states that it was "not unusual" for Ms Pike to become upset and wander off, and maintains that Sutton went to look for her out of genuine concern when his Land Rover accidentally struck her in the dark.

The trial continues.