Woman saw friend being stabbed, trial hears

A postmortem report found Gillian Connelly died from a stab wound to the left side of her chest

A woman has described how she witnessed her friend being stabbed with a kitchen knife at a house in Gainsborough.

Stephanie McLaggan, 38, formerly of North Warren Road, Gainsborough, denies murdering Gillian Connelly, 44, at the home of a mutual friend, Jade Glover, in Wheeldon Street on 28 July last year.

A second friend, Susan Wasley, who had spent the night drinking and taking drugs with Ms McLaggan and Ms Connelly, told Lincoln Crown Court she witnessed the attack.

Giving evidence on Wednesday, Ms Wasley said: "I stood up, I froze, I should have done more. I didn't think it was that bad."

The court heard Ms Wasley was sat at a table when she saw Ms McLaggan follow Ms Connelly into the kitchen.

"Gillian was facing the wall," Ms Wasley said. "Stephanie was behind her. She just got the knife and went round the front."

Ms Wasley said she saw the knife at that point and alleged it came from the kitchen block.

'It just stopped'

She said the two women ended up "tussling" on the floor in the dining room.

"At that point I don't think Gillian knew what was going on," Ms Wasley said.

"It just stopped. Gillian got up and said she could not breathe."

Ms Wasley said she last saw Ms Connelly on the stairs and left the property.

Ms Connelly was later pronounced dead after being moved our of the property. A postmortem found she died from a stab wound to the left side of her chest.

Under cross examination from defence barrister Clive Stockwell KC, Ms Wasley denied she was responsible for stabbing and killing Ms Connelly.

The prosecution allege Ms McLaggan carried out the fatal stabbing in an attack which came "out of the blue."

Jurors heard Ms McLaggan and Ms Connelly were previously in a long term relationship but still socialised together.

Ms McLaggan made no reply when she was arrested on suspicion of murder and declined to answer questions during police interviews.

The trial, which is expected to last two weeks, continues.

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