THE jury in the trial of a man accused of murdering his wife by pushing her down the stairs have heard a summary of the evidence.
Alan Evans, aged 35, has been on trial for four weeks charged with killing 32-year-old Louise, who was found dead at the bottom of the stairs at their home in Stoney Lane, Kidderminster, in July last year.
Yesterday, High Court judge Mr Justice Hickinbottom, sitting at Worcester Crown Court, went through the evidence in the case, which included details of his affair with teaching assistant Amanda Chadwick, who worked at St Mary's CE Primary School where Evans’ three young daughters attended.
He highlighted how their relationship resumed within months of Louise’s death, and Evans’ denial in court that it had been “disrespectful” to the memory of his wife.
Evans had also lied to police and claimed they were not in a sexual relationship, claiming he had lied because it had “nothing to do” with his wife’s death – though the judge mentioned this claim was “incongruous” with the admission in court that the police clearly thought there was a connection between the two.
The judge went through Evans’ defence that he had not heard Louise fall down the stairs as he had been asleep on the couch downstairs, but mentioned how the “bang” had been so loud as to wake their next-door neighbours.
The court was played a taped conversation Evans had with police on June 28, when he and his wife temporarily separated due to his relationship with Ms Chadwick and asked police advice on whether he was obliged to leave their family home.
In it, the court has been told he repeatedly lied by insisting he had “done nothing wrong” – despite not being asked by the operator – and claimed he “paid everything”, when in reality Louise’s salary as a part-time care assistant paid for the mortgage.
The jury is due to be sent out to consider its verdict this morning.
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