Convicted murderer Paul Charlton claims he was kidnapped and bashed before his trial

Convicted killer Paul Charlton – who fainted in the dock after he was found guilty of the murder of Joanne Howell – claimed he was kidnapped and bashed in the lead up to his trial.

Paul Charlton was on bail before his Supreme Court trial. Picture: Aaron Francis

Convicted killer Paul Charlton claimed he was dramatically kidnapped as his trial over the murder of singer Joanne Howell loomed.

In May, Charlton went to police and told them he had been bashed at a property at Bruthen, in east Gippsland.

He said he was then forced into a car and driven away from the Great Alpine Rd and into bushland where he was threatened.

Charlton told investigators the incident happened at 6pm on May 14.

The 68-year-old was at the time on bail over the murder of Ms Howell at their home in Melbourne’s southeastern suburbs on April 21, 2007.

Police later went public in an attempt to find witnesses to what Charlton was alleging.

The Herald Sun understands local detectives have been unable to verify Charlton’s kidnapping complaint.

No arrests have been made.

Joanne Howell was found dead in her Poath Rd home in Hughesdale in April 2007. Picture: Supplied

A Supreme Court jury on Thursday convicted Charlton of the murder of Ms Howell.

He collapsed as the verdict was read and was taken to St Vincent’s Hospital under police guard for treatment.

Charlton told police he took his dog Bundy for a two-hour stroll after having an argument with Ms Howell.

He said he came home to find Ms Howell, 51, dead at the bottom of the stairs.

She had suffered a traumatic blow to the back of the head and strangulation from a cord.

During a three-week Supreme Court trial, his defence lawyers tried to pin the murder on an “alternative killer” – an ex-boyfriend Ms Howell had barely seen in 10 years or her estranged brother.

But a jury of 12 rejected this, finding it was Charlton that killed his partner as their “doomed” relationship took a turn for the worse.

The trial heard that on the day Ms Howell was killed, she’d told Charlton he had 30 days to get out of her house, even telling him a “big fat lie” that she was planning to move to Perth to get him out.

But the court was told IT worker Charlton refused to go, creating “conflict and acrimony” up until the murder.

On that night, neighbours say they heard Ms Howell call Charlton a “f---wit”, then noticed a “dull thud” at about 9.15pm in the spot where her body was later found.

Charlton confirmed to police they’d fought and that she called him a “f---wit and an arsehole” as he tried to watch the TV before she threw the remote out the back door.

But he claimed this was when Ms Howell went upstairs, while he took little Bundy, scratching at the door, for a two-hour walk from about 9.20pm.

He couldn’t recall any of the streets he walked along, telling officers, “I don’t look at the street signs”, and said he returned home to find the horror scene.