Woman accused of murdering ex-partner on Christmas Day ‘not a violent person'
Kirsty Carless, 33, is accused of plunging a knife into 31-year-old Louis Price's heart in the early hours of December 25 2024 in an attack '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.
Prosecutors allege Carless, of Haling Way in Cannock, Staffordshire, took a kitchen knife in a taxi from her home to Mr Price's parents' address in Elm Road, Norton Canes, where she expected to find him with a woman.
CCTV showed Carless 'stalking' him around the garden before he was later found with a single stab wound to the chest on the conservatory floor.
The court was told Mr Price was considered by police to be 'at very high risk of domestic abuse' before his death.
On Tuesday, Carless told the court she went to Mr Price's parents' address as she believed he had taken money from inside a card she had in her home.
Before getting a taxi, she said she phoned him to see if he had taken the money, but he did not answer, so she went to his parents' address.
Carless's defence barrister asked what she took with her, and she said a set of keys and phone, and asked if she had a knife about her person, she said 'no'.
Asked why she told the taxi driver she would only be a minute, Carless said: 'Because I was going to get the money and come back.'
Carless said she opened the front door and shouted but no one answered, then went upstairs.
Asked if she thought he might be with another woman, she said: 'I didn't care whether he was in bed with somebody else, I wasn't interested.'
Carless then said she was in the kitchen, and there was 'no one about', then a light came on outside.
Asked what happened next, Carless said: 'I remember being in the conservatory, that was it the next thing I knew I was in the kitchen.
'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', and asked why, she said as far as she was aware, he had taken the money.
Asked what she remembers, she said: 'I remember being in the conservatory, I see Louis, the next thing I know I was stood by the breakfast bar…' and she said Mr Price said 'you've hurt me you stupid bitch'.
She added: 'He was coming back to his feet and I just panicked then.'
Asked if she remembers chasing Mr Price around the garden, she said: 'No.'
Asked if she has any recollection of stabbing Mr Price, she said: 'No, I just remember him holding his chest.'
Asked as far as she was aware, did she intend to kill him, she said: 'No, I'm not a violent person.'
And asked as far as she was aware, did she intend to cause him serious harm, she said: 'No.'
Carless told the court she felt 'fear' when asked what emotions she remembers from that night.
The defendant said she does not remember what she did with the knife.
She said she went to her mother's. Asked why she did not answer any questions when she was interviewed by police, she said she was advised by the legal team.
Asked how she feels about the matter now, she said 'disgusted'.
Carless's defence barrister said the court has heard the defendant has pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
Asked about an incident in November, being questioned by her defence barrister, Carless said she was throwing Mr Price's stuff down the stairs, when he pinned her down, and she was then pushing him off her.
And asked if she assaulted him that day, Carless said 'no'.
Jonas Hankin KC, prosecuting, told Carless the prosecution's case is that she intended to kill Mr Price. She replied: 'No.'
Later, Mr Hankin put to Carless that she was 'jealous and possessive' towards Mr Price, and she replied: 'No.'
Mr Hankin added: 'And if he spoke to another woman, you would assault him.'
Carless replied: 'No.'
When Mr Hankin put to the defendant that 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.'
Mr Hankin put to her that during the November incident, she shouted at him and strangled him, and she replied no to both.
Carless denies murder and possessing an offensive weapon in a public place in relation to the fatal incident on December 25 2024 and one count of intentional strangulation and one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm in relation to the incident on November 11 2024.
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