A paedophile allegedly murdered as he "boasted" about his conviction for child rape had abused another youngster in the 1980s, it has been revealed.

Jurors have heard that pensioner William Rowe, who was jailed in 2012 for multiple sex offences, had also been convicted in 1984 for indecently assaulting a child.

Mr Rowe, 71, died in September last year after being subjected to what the prosecution say was a "brutal" attack by Simon Brown at the home of a mutual female friend in Mercury Close, Borstal.

Brown, 28, told police following his arrest that he lost his temper and "went mad" when the sex offender "sniggered, bragged and laughed" at being shown a KentOnline report of his trial and sentencing from 11 years earlier.

Although Brown, of Snowdon Close, Chatham, admits he inflicted the injuries that led to Mr Rowe's death, he denies murder on the basis he did not intend to cause really serious harm or to kill.

Maidstone Crown Court heard twice-married Mr Rowe was jailed for 10 years in November 2012 for three offences of rape, three of indecent assault and one of gross indecency with a child.

Following his release from prison in 2022, he initially lived in Poole, Dorset, before moving to a bail hostel in Gillingham, Kent. He then lived on a boat he bought for £1 which was moored on the River Medway at Acorn Marina near Rochester Bridge.

It was during the evidence of long-term friend John Cordell and Tracey Rowe - the victim's second wife - that the jury heard of the conviction from 40 years ago.

Both Mr Cordell and Ms Rowe, who divorced the pensioner in 2017, told the court on Monday (March 18) that he neither discussed the 2012 conviction with them nor showed them the KentOnline article.

Asked about his "attitude" and whether he was open about being in prison for sexual offences, Mr Cordell said his friend, who was a qualified engineer, did not boast "at all" and had always denied he was responsible.

"I didn't believe it was Bill that had done it. He wasn't open at all. He wasn't blaring it out on a loudspeaker or anything. He just always said 'It wasn't me.'," he told the court.

Ms Rowe, who was married to Mr Rowe for 22 years, said she did ask her then husband about the 2012 offences but he "never accepted it or admitted it".

"He would keep it very much to himself. He was very much a private person. He wouldn't openly discuss it," she told the jury.

It was during cross-examination by Brown's barrister David Hislop KC, that both witnesses agreed Mr Rowe had not revealed his earlier conviction to them.

"So that was a side to him that he had hidden from you throughout your marriage?", asked Mr Hislop of Ms Rowe, to which she simply replied: "Yes."

The court heard Mr Cordell had known his friend for 51 years and had been a character witness at his trial in 2012.

But when asked whether he knew of his 1984 conviction, Mr Cordell replied: "No, not at all. This is the first time I have heard about that."

Mr Hislop suggested that the alleged murder victim also kept "another side of himself hidden" from them - that of his apparent habit of exposing himself while living at the marina.

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Mr Rowe's lifeless and battered body was discovered by police on September 5 - more than 27 hours after he is alleged to have been murdered.

He was sitting on a blood-stained carpet, propped up against a sofa and covered by a blanket with his head and upper body tightly wrapped in a towel.

Cause of death was later given as blunt force trauma to the head, neck and torso. He had suffered a significant brain injury, fractures to his nose and eye area, lacerations and bruising.

Several rib fractures were also inflicted to both sides of his body and a tooth had been knocked out.

Brown was arrested after his mum alerted police. She told them he had arrived at her house and said: "I'm so scared. I beat this man up. I think I killed him.

"He was a nonce. He brutally raped a two-year-old. I just beat him. I went mad."

The trial continues.