Murder accused denies being a violent person

Kirsty Carless denies the murder of Louis Price on Christmas Day

A woman accused of murdering her ex-partner said she had no recollection of stabbing him and she was "not a violent person".

Prosecutors said the attack by Kirsty Carless on Louis Price, 31, at his parents house in Norton Canes, Staffordshire, was "motivated by anger and jealousy and fuelled by cocaine and alcohol" after a friend sent her a picture of his dating profile on Tinder.

CCTV showed Ms Carless, 33, "stalking" Mr Price around the garden before he was later found with a single stab wound to the chest on the conservatory floor, Stafford Crown Court heard.

Ms Carless denies murder and possessing an offensive weapon in a public place in relation to the fatal incident on December 25.

She also denies a count of intentional strangulation and one of assault in relation to an earlier incident.

Prosecutors said Ms Carless, of Haling Way in Cannock, took a kitchen knife in a taxi from her home to Mr Price's parents' address where they said she expected to find him with a woman.

Mr Price was considered by police to be "at very high risk of domestic abuse" before his death, the court heard.

On Tuesday, Ms 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.

Ms Carless's defence barrister asked what she took with her, and she said a set of keys and phone. Asked if she had a knife with her, she said "no".

Asked why she told the taxi driver she would only be a minute, she 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, so she then went upstairs.

She added she did not care whether he was in bed with somebody else.

She then said she was in the kitchen, and there was "no one about", then a light came on outside.

Asked what happened next, she 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."

Ms Carless' defence barrister asked her why she had 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.

She said she heard Mr Price had said "you've hurt me" and did not remember chasing him around the garden.

She had no recollection of stabbing Mr Price, she said, and added she was not a violent person. She also said she did not intend to cause him serious harm.

Ms Carless's defence barrister said the court had heard she had pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

Asked about an incident in November by her defence barrister, Ms 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.

Jonas Hankin, prosecuting, said she had shouted at Mr Price and strangled him, but she said she had not.

She denies murder and possessing an offensive weapon in a public place in relation to the fatal incident on 25 December 2024 and one count of intentional strangulation and one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm in relation to an incident on 11 November 2024.

The trial continues.