A second week of evidence has concluded in the murder trial of Emma Walsh.
The 31-year-old is accused of murdering her boyfriend Gary Morgan after stabbing him in the chest at her home on Lavan Close in Everton. The couple had spent the evening in the pub watching football on the television before returning to the bungalow, where the violence unfolded.
Here, we have summarised what the jury heard during the second week of the trial. You can find our roundup of the first week by clicking here.
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Juror discharged
One juror was discharged of her duties by the Honorary Recorder of Liverpool Judge Andrew Menary KC on Tuesday morning after testing positive for Covid-19. This leaves a panel of six men and five women.
Family's accounts of domestic abuse
Several of Mr Morgan's family members gave evidence from the witness box this week. His dad James Morgan said the 36-year-old was initially "very happy" after meeting his new girlfriend in March 2021.
But after a "couple of weeks", he and his wife Sandra began to notice a string of injuries that Gary had suffered. Mr Morgan told the jury: "We just witnessed the odd couple of things, a black eye and that - he always had an excuse for it.
"He had bruises on his side. He had a black eye on one side, and then a couple of weeks later he had one on the other side.
"The first black eye, he said Emma's dad had opened the cupboard door and he walked into it. The second one he blamed the dog, it had scratched him when he was playing with it."
On one occasion in summer 2021, Gary was getting changed at his parents' home when his father noticed "bruises all down one of his sides". Mr Morgan said on the stand: "How he explained that, he told me he'd slept on an air bed and it had gone down in the middle of the night.
"I said to him, you wouldn't get bruises like that from an air bed - I said 'it looks like someone has been hurting you'. He said 'behave yourself'."
Mr Morgan recounted that Gary, from Prescot, had been due to stay at a hotel with 31-year-old Walsh one night but drunkenly fell asleep in the lift. He had apparently been "going up and down in the lift all night".
When he woke up, he had no shoes on and left in a taxi "under the impression Emma was with some lads they had been speaking to the night before". Gary then confessed to his mum and dad that he was being abused.
Mr Morgan said: "He started telling us all the black eyes were caused by her. That's when it all come out, he was telling us that she was beating him every time they went out."
Gary told his parents at this point that Walsh had previously attacked him with a butter knife and a broken dinner plate at the home where she lived with her dad on Lavan Close. Mr Morgan remembered: "There was a time she had a butter knife and tried to stab him with that.
"I didn't find out about that until the night he fell asleep in the lift. He said she attacked him with a butter knife all of a sudden, he didn't tell me what it was over.
"He told us she smashed a plate and tried to slice his cheek with the plate. She was aiming for his neck, that's what he told me.
"We didn't know what was happening to Gary, it was after the hotel he told us. My stomach was turning over, the way he was getting beaten.
"I was nearly sick over it. He said a lot about the way she was acting, she kept on checking his phone."
Mr Morgan said he and others had advised Gary to end the relationship "but he wouldn't listen, he loved her". In December last year, both he and Walsh stayed over at the witness' home while his wife was in hospital.
The pair went out to get food, but a conflict arose after they returned to the property. Mr Morgan said: "I heard a ruckus in the living room, I heard her shouting at him and Gary shouting at her."
He then entered the room and witnessed Gary bending down to pick up a Subway sandwich, which he believed had been thrown at him. As he did so, Mr Morgan saw Walsh kick his son in the head - describing her face as "scrunched up as though she really wanted to hurt him".
The dad-of-six said in court: "That was the only time I ever seen her attack him. As soon as she seen me, she started crying."
Mr Morgan said he was aware that Gary had been charged with assaulting Walsh, "but they'd acquitted it or stopped it". He said that he did not ask his son for any further information over the incident which led to this.
Kerry Toner, the daughter of Gary's brother Paul's long-term partner Diane Harvey, also gave evidence. She said she had seen the man who she described as an "uncle figure" with injuries "on more than one occasion".
Mr Morgan told her he had suffered one black eye after "Emma had kicked off". On June 6 last year, he went to stay with his brother and his family after an "altercation" between the two.
Ms Toner said: "He had a cut that was about half an inch to an inch on his eyebrow. He had blood on his face and his t-shirt - he'd explained that Emma had been kicking off again and she'd been swinging a spirit level at him until it hit him in the face."
Gary was told he should have the wound checked out in hospital, but Ms Toner said: "He kept saying 'no, it was fine'. He had scratch marks all over his body and bite marks over his arms and chest.
"It wasn't a disagreement or argument, it was a full on attack. I was concerned he would end up being killed or end up retaliating and end up in jail."
Ms Toner said that Mr Morgan went to their house on another occasion after "Emma had tried to hit him with a rake". She said: "She had been swinging it at him and he'd ducked, and it had left marks over the back of his shoulders."
"I recommended he not go back to the relationship, I saw it as an abusive relationship in which he was the victim. He would say he was done and he couldn't help her any more, but inevitably he always went back to her."
Gary's aunt Christine Hindley said in a statement that her nephew had "disclosed that Emma had been abusive to him", including being hit by a rake. She added: "I would give him advice not to go back but he would, because he loved her - I cannot warn him now."
The other witnesses who were asked said they were not aware that Gary had been arrested on suspicion of assaulting Walsh in February this year.
Pathologist's evidence
Home Office pathologist Dr Jonathan Medcalf, who carried out the post-mortem investigation, was called to give evidence on Tuesday. He noted "three incised wounds" - one of which was a "superficial" cut, while another stab wound had been inflicted "to the back of the lower half of the left upper arm" and was around 1.8cm deep.
The fatal blow was suffered to the left side of the chest, below and to the side of the left nipple. This measured 2cm on the surface of the skin but was around 6.5cm deep and "penetrated through the skin, soft tissue and ribs" before passing through the left lung and into the heart.
Mr Morgan was also noted to have "very minor bruises to the top of the head", a "feint" minor scar to the left eyebrow, bruising and an abrasion to his lips which "may well be related to medical intervention" plus several pre-existing "healing linear scratches" to the hands. Several of his ribs had been broken during CPR attempts, although it is believed that one fracture may have been caused by the fatal stabbing.
Dr Medcalf said: "The most significant external finding was the presence of three incised wounds - the third was the fatal injury, and was a deep stab wound to the left side of the chest. Such wounds typically result in rapid collapse."
He said that these injuries were "entirely compatible" with being inflicted by a bloodstained knife found in the kitchen sink - which was shown to the jury today. Walsh had earlier claimed that Mr Morgan had been injured after falling onto a broken piece of plastic from a speaker he was alleged to have smashed, but Dr Medcalf concluded: "I do not believe it could have been caused by the broken piece of plastic - it was too large, too broad."
The doctor said there were no "classical incised defence-type injuries". But it was "certainly possible" that the stab wound to the arm was sustained when "attempting to avoid or block the blade".
A "high concentration" of alcohol and "evidence of cocaine use" was found during toxicology tests. Dr Medcalf added: "This man's death was clearly a result of the deep stab wound to the chest - overall, given all the features, I believe a moderate degree of force was probably involved in the fatal wound in this case."
Messages between couple revealed
On Wednesday afternoon, the jury was read a series of texts which were sent between the couple before Mr Morgan's death. After one incident between the two, he said: "I love you but I'm fighting a losing battle and it's never gonna change, because if I say something you just kick off."
Mr Morgan told Walsh in May last year "once you start throwing punches you can't stop". He added: "I've honestly felt like going somewhere and ending it, I haven't felt this depressed in ages."
On June 7 2021, the deceased said in a message: "Never want to see you again you nasty piece of s***. You went too far yesterday.
"My face is split open, got bite marks on my chest and shattered my elbow. I'm no f***ing punchbag."
Walsh told Mr Morgan she was "gonna end it all", adding: "I love you and no matter what I always will do. Just please remember me for the good times."
He responded: "You hit me across the head with a f***ing rake. If you'd had a knife, you would have stabbed me.
"You're a f***ing bully and I want you out of my life. I'm not staying around to get killed by you.
"You want to see the state of my face. Don't text me any more, this is it.
"I can't stay with you, I'll end up seriously injured. There's not a chance I'm coming back for more, all you do is give me s*** and t*** me.
"Sorry is not doing it any more. Sick of having black eyes off you.
"I can't stay with you, it's too far now. I'm black and blue all the time.
"If it was the other way round I'd be slammed for it. I'll end up dead soon, can't do it.
"I wanna be on my own for a bit. You've broken me down."
Ten days later on June 17, Mr Morgan messaged Walsh saying: "You swore you'll never do it again, and less than a week later you're doing it again. I told you, I wont have you punching me and I meant it Emma."
Walsh pleaded with Mr Morgan to stay with her, telling him she loved him and had "lost too much already". He responded: "Tried too many times with no change."
In another message, the dad said: "I'm letting everything go to escape my domestic abuser. That's what you are.
"You pick s*** up and start swinging, asking questions later. I've never suffered from so much anxiety since I've been with you.
"I love you, always will, you just scare the s*** out of me. I never lay a finger on anyone and you're just bringing the worst out, you won't ever change.
"It's domestic violence, no matter what way you look at it. I never ever thought it would happen to me, but here we are.
"You'll end up killing me. Can't even laugh in front of you without you kicking off.
"You was threatening to send Crocky heads to my mum's house Emma. You were trying to stab me for f***s sake.
"You just can't go on like that. You'll end up on a murder charge."
Mr Morgan said in one text that Walsh had "flipped out about him having a shower" and "stopped him from having one". He added: "You're controlling me and not giving a f*** about how I feel.
"My life's going down the pan. You're meant to love me, and I'm here feeling like a d***head."
Mr Morgan sent a message to Walsh's cousin saying "Emma's just stabbed me in the neck", before telling the defendant: "Picking a knife up is bad, never mind sticking it in my neck. You could have killed me."
"You just flip and start accusing me and threatening me with Crocky rats. I can't even eat properly because my jaw's killing."
Walsh told him that she was "off the ale for a bit", adding: "It will not happen ever again, at all. I pinkie promise."
Mr Morgan replied: "You can't just stab me in the neck and just forget about it. I can't get my head round why you started trying to stab me.
"I still can't believe you've done it to be honest. You ended it when you started picking up knives.
"This time you've gone too far. Next time you might not be as lucky and hit an artery.
"Why do you do it? You wasn't a***d as long as you didn't get done."
Walsh accused Mr Morgan of "chasing her with a spade" in one message, although he stated he was actually "chasing the lads you was with". He also said she had "threatened to burn his mum's house" and accused her of "getting off your cake with all lads", "s***ging that pie face" and "getting banged by lads from the Sheil".
Another message read: "Not getting bullied by you any more and hope you get bullied in jail. Don't want a flat with you so you can lock me in there and try and stab me, I'm getting you done for this and biting my arm.
"You punched my face in for f*** all. You smashed a glass then came at me with it."
Walsh said she would go on an anger management course, adding: "I wouldn't do nothing to hurt you, you know I wouldn't. I don't want this to be it you know - but if you do I understand, truly.
"I love you so much. I want to spend the rest of my life with you Gary."
Mr Morgan said she had "punched him four times in the nose" and it was "killing". He messaged her saying: "You punch my head every two minutes.
"Every time we go in the flat there's no-one to stop the murder, and to be honest I'm scared of what you'll do. It's the drink and the lemo."
Walsh said she was "off it now", but Mr Morgan replied: "I can't keep getting filled in by you. I'm not a punchbag."
Defendant misses fifth day of trial
The defendant was not present on the fifth day of evidence on Thursday as she was "not feeling well". However, she is expected to be able to attend when the trial resumes on Monday.
Killer's interview with detectives
In her absence, the jury was read transcripts of Walsh's interviews with police following her arrest for Mr Morgan's murder. She was first spoken to by detectives at Wavertree Road Police Station on the afternoon of April 11, telling the officers: "We went to watch the match in the Belmont pub with his mate, Lee Taylor, got a bit drunk.
"We had few bits of drugs, we come back home and then it just started escalating cos he gets mouthy and being pushy and stuff. Then he smashed me speaker.
"Then I pushed, he fell, we’ve lay down and I’ve noticed he’s been bleeding on one side here. So we’ve took his jumper off, then after that he was just turning all purple and that.
"So I’ve rang the ambulance and they said just keep pressing on his chest. So I did, and all the police come and I got arrested."
Walsh claimed that she had seen people she knew while in the pub and Mr Morgan had "started saying you like him, you've been with him". Once they had returned to the bungalow, where she lived with her dad, she alleged he had "come at me, scratched all my face" and he had suffered the wound after falling onto a plastic shard of the broken bluetooth speaker.
Of the pub trip, during which they watched Liverpool FC's game with Manchester City and stayed for karaoke, the 31-year-old said: "We were singing and dancing. I've known people and he's a jealous person.
"He's paranoid sometimes. 'I'd done this and I'm doing that, I've s***ged him', that's all I get half the time.
"It's always when we drink. When we haven't had a drink we're as happy as Larry - when we have a drink or two with cocaine and that and weed, it sends your head oblivious."
In a second interview shortly after 9.30am the following day, Walsh gave more details on Mr Morgan's final day. They had stayed at his mum's the night before, left at around 10am and eaten at McDonald's before returning to Lavan Close.
The deceased had then been "making pallets with me dad in the back garden" while she did chores. The couple and Mr Morgan's friend Mr Taylor then went to the chop to buy "ciggies and a pack of Stella", drank the cans then left for the Belmont - picking up cocaine en route.
Walsh said: "Everyone was happy because we drawed. We thought we were gonna get beat."
She added that there had been no arguments on the walk home shortly after 10pm, but back at home "he started going on at me". Walsh told the officers: "We've had a fight, fisticuffs."
The detectives then informed her of the results of Mr Morgan's post-mortem investigation, which concluded that his death had been caused by a bloodstained knife found in the sink and not a broken piece of plastic. She replied: "Oh no, it wasn't a knife.
"Because how can I get into the kitchen to get a knife? I was there when he fell."
Walsh then asked to speak to her solicitor, and after a conference lasting around half an hour confessed: "I did do it yeah. Just domestic abuse, he tried to grab me, just hostile.
"We’ve had a few drinks at home, we went to the pub, we got back home. He smashed me speaker, he started getting hostile, he’s pushed me, I’ve pushed him, so I went into the kitchen just like to maybe get out the way and then he’s come in and started grabbing me.
"He’s screaming in my face pushing me. So I picked up a knife, but he’s had hold of me so I only hit him that side and then we both took the jumper off.
"Then he started coming at me speaking, all verbal, shouting, being abusive to me and then he just started coming at me, grabbing me, pushing me. He always grabs me by the throat and stuff.
"I’ve been here a few times through domestic violence and stuff. I’ve got pictures on me phone of a bust nose, black eyes but this time it just went too far."
When asked why she had changed her story, Walsh replied "just scared". She added: "He smashed me speaker.
"I said 'what you doing that for?'. He said 'you deserve it you little s**g'.
"I went in the kitchen to try and calm the situation. He started attacking me.
"He grabbed me by the throat, he's had me by the back door in the corner.
"I picked the knife up and hit him. He's took his jumper off, I've put it in the wash.
"We've started to argue more and more. I just wanted him off me and to leave me alone - it was just a lover's tiff.
"I didn't stab him. I was just warning him"
When asked what would have happened if she had not armed herself with the knife, Walsh said: "He wouldn't be dead. I probably would have been."
She alleged that Mr Morgan - who earlier that day had changed his Facebook profile picture from one of him and his girlfriend to a photo of only himself - had grabbed her by the throat during the altercation, adding: "I grabbed it when he had hold of me, the knife was there. I told him to get off me, so I picked up the knife.
"I was scared. What if he was choking me like he was?"
Walsh said she could not breathe, and "the whole knife has gone in, 2cm, no more". She stated he reacted by saying "what are you doing that for?" and said of her final account "this one's the truth".
The killer said she had suffered a "bust nose and fractured cheekbone" at Mr Morgan's hands previously, but had not sought hospital treatment for these injuries. The detectives asked: "Did you fear for your life?"
Walsh told them "sometimes yeah". When asked "on the 11th did you fear for your life?", she responded: "Yeah, but I took his then."
Walsh denies one count of murder. The trial continues.
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