A DEESIDE mum stabbed to death by her ex-partner had hours earlier refused to go into a refuge without her dog, a trial has heard.
Mold Crown Court was told Karen McGraw of Connah’s Quay, Flintshire, was told the refuge had a no pets rule.
Ms McGraw, a mother-of-four and grandmother, was stabbed to death at her home in July this year.
Trevor Ferguson, 49, of Sale, Manchester, admits killing but denies murder, claiming he was provoked.
Sandra Edwards of Women’s Aid said that on July 22 – the day before Miss McGraw died – she had contacted them with Ms Edwards advising her of the options available.
One of them would have been to move to a refuge but it would not accept her pet dog.
Miss McGraw had been quite distressed and other options were discussed including additional security – which she already had – and it was agreed that a “marker” be put on her home so if there was any call from her home the police would attend immediately.
The jury at Mold Crown Court has heard prosecution claims that Ferguson killed her in temper in cold blood – in revenge for the fact that she had ended the relationship.
The couple had met via an internet dating site called Smooch and he had moved in.
But it is alleged there were arguments and violence and only a short time before the killing he had received a conditional discharge from Wrexham magistrates for assaulting her and damaging her door.
Police officers attended her home twice the day before the killing in response to her calls.
PC Christopher Monhiewicz told how he went there at about 1.30pm after being told that she wanted Mr Ferguson out of her house.
An hour or so later police received another call, returned and found Mr Ferguson sitting at the back door.
They told him that she did not want him at the property and he later drove off, followed by police.
The jury has been told Ms McGraw died at her home on July 23 – the day she changed her profile status on Facebook from “in a relationship” to “single”.
Andrew Thomas, QC, prosecuting, said the defendant killed her in cold blood in a fit of anger at the fact that she had rejected him.
He said: “The prosecution say that this case is a sad example of a woman struggling to cope with domestic violence with an abusive partner.”
The jury has been told he burst into the house, chased her out of the back door, and stabbed her three times when she was trapped by a side wrought iron gate which had been locked in a bid to prevent him from getting in.
Neighbours told the jury they heard a scream and a woman's voice saying “I love you”.
A man’s voice was heard to say “No you don’t” and later Ferguson was seenrunning away down an alley into York Road, and drive off.
Welsh ambulance service paramedic Ruth Lewis told how she arrived to find a woman in a pool of blood and neighbours were lifting a gate so that they could get to her.
Proceeding.