Megan Newborough: Man watched porn after killing woman, jury told

Megan Newborough's family said she "was the most generous, loving and caring person"

A man accused of murdering his girlfriend laughed in court while describing how he watched pornography in the hours after the killing.

Ross McCullam strangled Megan Newborough after inviting her to his home in Coalville.

He has admitted the manslaughter of 23-year-old Ms Newborough but denies murdering her.

He said he lost control of himself in a "blind rage" when he attacked her in August last year.

'Safety blanket'

Mr McCullam's defence barrister argued his actions were triggered by a moment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) he suffered when he remembered sexual abuse he had suffered as a child.

Giving evidence under cross-examination on Monday, Mr McCullam was asked about why he had looked at online pornography the morning after the killing on the night of Friday 6 August last year.

He said: "As a safety blanket - it makes you feel better for a short period of time."

John Cammegh KC, prosecuting, asked Mr McCullam: "That's what you did at 7am, for some 17 minutes, after killing Megan?"

Mr McCullam, 30, laughed and he said: "Yes. I'm being completely honest.

"I know how bad it makes me look."

Mr Cammegh asked: "What are you laughing for?"

"I was trying to answer, but you interrupted me," said Mr McCullam.

He told the court he accessed pornography as "escapism from what I've just done".

Ross McCullam told the jury he hated himself for what he had done

Jurors previously heard Mr McCullam and Ms Newborough, of Nuneaton, Warwickshire, had been in a short relationship in the weeks before her death after meeting as colleagues at the Ibstock Brick factory in Leicestershire.

The court heard was told he sent text messages and voicemails to Ms Newborough's phone, knowing she was dead, having cut her throat with a knife and used her own car to dump her body in undergrowth a lane near Woodhouse Eaves, Leicestershire.

Mr Cammegh asked: "Did it [watching pornography] make you feel better?"

Mr McCullam, of Windsor Close, Coalville, said: "It relieved the stress of what I had done.

"And I did the worst stuff you could do afterwards, which was leaving text messages.

"I hate myself for that."

Mr McCullam was asked about whether he considered his "worst actions" to be sending the texts, rather than killing Ms Newborough.

Asked if it was only "the next morning" Mr McCullam had the self-awareness to recognise what he had done was wrong, he replied: "No. The full extent was starting to sink in, which is why I watched pornography. To feel better."

The trial continues.