A man who denies murdering his estranged wife has been accused of 'fabricating' a version of events.
Jade Marsh – who was also known as Jade Ward – was killed at her home in Shotton, Flintshire, on August 26 last year. Russell Marsh, of Chevrons Road in Shotton, was charged with the 27-year-old mum's murder after he was filmed by officers telling them he had "done something horrible."
Marsh told Mold Crown Court that that her death and his actions on that night had left him "devastated". The prosecution insisted Marsh had killed Ms Ward because he saw her "moving on" with her life.
READ MORE : Mum of four Jade Marsh's 'mutilated' body found buried under pile of clothes
Yesterday (Tuesday) Michael Jones QC said Marsh's "fabricated" version of events were nothing more than "utter nonsense", reports the Daily Post. The mum-of-four was found slashed, stabbed and strangled in her own bed, buried under a pile of clothes.
Marsh previously claimed the tragic death followed a failed sadomasochistic sexual encounter and after Ms Ward launched tirade of abuse at him. He claimed Ms Ward planned to drive him to suicide in order to cash in on his £1 million life insurance policy.
Marsh told the court a "white noise" had washed over him and he tried to "stop" Ms Ward "from talking". Moments later, he came to and she was dead, the jury heard.
Marsh told the court that he failed to tell anyone about what "really happened" until the trial was underway because he thought "people wouldn't believe him". He went on to say his "head was all over the place."
But he accepted he could have told the officers at Blacon Police Station about his version of events when he first handed himself in. But, he "wasn't in any state" and later stuck with legal advice to give "no comment" answers.
He suggested throughout the trial that he has been the only person telling the truth. Marsh looked again at the jury and said: "I didn't murder Jade".
Mr Jones QC said Marsh made a "calculated decision" to try to get rid of the knife that killed Ms Ward, and mobile phones after arriving at his parents home Saughall, Cheshire. Marsh told the court he did this "for Jade's benefit" in an effort to "protect her sacred image" because there were "intimate" pictures of her.
But the prosecutor told the jury Marsh had in fact carried out a "prolonged" and "sadistic" attack on Ms Ward. The defence told the court that Marsh would not be returning to "what remains" of his family and former life because he only has two options before him at the end of this trial.
He can only be found guilty of one of the two counts before him, having already admitted to killing Ms Ward during his own evidence. The judge will summarise the case for the jury tomorrow before they retire to consider their final verdict.
The trial continues.
