THE jury in the trial of a man accused of murdering an 80-year-old woman in her home will continue its deliberations this morning.
George Portsmouth has claimed his partner’s grandmother mistakenly identified him to police as having attacked her in her home at Colne.
He also insisted officers had arrested the wrong person over the death of Connie French who gave a witness video recorded interview to police from a hospital bed about her ordeal.
Portsmouth (25), of Varley Street, Colne, denies murdering her in April of last year. The jury at Preston Crown Court spent four and a half hours deliberating on Friday.
Around 12 days before she died, Mrs French had written his first name down for officers and mouthed his surname, as being the one responsible for harming her at her house on North Street, Colne and taking her money.
She had also indicated a pillow had been placed over her neck and face. An alarm pendant worn by Mrs French was activated in the early hours of March 27th. Carers went on to find her lying in the front room of her home. Her injuries included one to her neck. A pillow had been placed under her head.
Portsmouth’s DNA in the form of a blood spot was found on a pillow case the prosecution allege was used by him in an attempt to smother her. Blood staining and saliva of Mrs French was found on the opposite side of the pillow case.
The defendant accepted his blood had been found on the case, but said he didn’t know when it got there because he worked with steel in his job and this could get stuck in his fingers.
The defendant also said in evidence that from time to time the gran would lend him money. His financial situation had been tight, but he had been coping. He accepted having had a gambling problem and lieing about losing money on gambling machines.