Woman accused of murdering ex-partner on Christmas Day tells jury she is 'not a violent person'
Kirsty Carless, 33, allegedly stabbed Louis Price in the heart in the early hours of December 25, 2024.
The attack was said to be 'motivated by anger and jealousy and fuelled by cocaine and alcohol ' after a friend sent her a picture of his dating profile on Tinder, Stafford Crown Court heard.
CCTV showed Carless 'stalking' Mr Price, 31, around the garden before he was later found with a single stab wound to the chest on the conservatory floor.
The defendant has pleaded guilty to manslaughter but denies murder and possessing an offensive weapon in a public place in relation to the fatal incident.
She also denies one count of intentional strangulation and another of assault occasioning actual bodily harm in relation to a separate incident on November 11, 2024.
And in court on Tuesday, Carless insisted she has no recollection of knifing her former partner.
Asked if she intended to kill Mr Price, she said: 'No, I'm not a violent person.'
She added that she had no intention to cause him serious harm.
Prosecutors allege Carless, of Haling Way in Cannock, Staffordshire, took a kitchen knife in a taxi from her home to Mr Price's parents' property in Elm Road, Norton Canes, where she expected to find him with a woman.
The court was told Mr Price was considered by police to be 'at very high risk of domestic abuse' before his death that day.
Carless told the jury that she had phoned him to see if he had taken money from inside a card she had in her home.
He did not answer, so she got a taxi to his parents' address, adding that she brought a set of keys and phone with her, denying she had a knife about her person.
Asked why she told the driver she would only be a minute, Carless said: 'Because I was going to get the money and come back.'
She said she opened the front door and shouted but no one answered, then went upstairs, adding: 'I didn't care whether he was in bed with somebody else, I wasn't interested.'
Carless added she was in the kitchen and there was 'no one about', then a light came on outside.
She said: 'Louis was sat on the floor. Then I panicked and ran off.'
Carless's defence barrister asked her why she picked up a knife, and she said she was going 'to go and destroy the caravan' because, as far as she was aware, he had taken the money.
She said: The next thing I know I was stood by the breakfast bar...' and she added that Mr Price said, 'you've hurt me you stupid b***h'.
'He was coming back to his feet and I just panicked then.'
Carless insisted that she does not recall chasing her ex around the garden at this point, but just remembers the 'fear' she felt that night.
She does not recollect what she did with the knife but she remembers heading to her mother's house.
The defendant she did not answer any questions when she was interviewed by police, she said she was advised by the legal team.
Carless added that she now feels 'disgusted' about the matter.
Later, Jonas Hankin KC, prosecuting, put to Carless that she was 'jealous and possessive' towards Mr Price, but she replied: 'No.'
Mr Hankin added: 'And if he spoke to another woman, you would assault him.'
Carless responded: 'No.'
When Mr Hankin suggested she lost her temper when she saw the Tinder profile, she replied: 'No.'
After he put to her that she 'couldn't bear to think of him with somebody else on Christmas Eve', Carless said: 'He already had another girlfriend.'
Asked about another incident in November, she said she was throwing Mr Price's stuff down the stairs when he pinned her down and she was then pushing him off her.
She claimed she did not assault her ex-partner that day, neither did she shout at him.
The trial continues.
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