Barman hid Tracy Kearns' body in tree house, court hears

Bird and Miss Kearns had been in a relationship for seven years and had two children

A barman accused of murdering his partner hid her body in a tree house while he took their children to school, a court has heard.

Anthony Bird's police interviews were read to jurors during his trial at Mold Crown Court.

He said he and Tracy Kearns had been involved in an "almighty row" at their home in Kinmel Bay, Conwy county, and "one thing had led to another".

Mr Bird, 49, denies murder but accepts responsibility for her death.

The jury previously heard Miss Kearns had started a relationship with another man who Bird met in the days before her death in May this year.

Mr Bird told police the row began when Miss Kearns, 43, demanded his car keys when her own car had a puncture. He refused and described the scenes that followed as "horrible".

He alleged Miss Kearns came at him with a pair of scissors and, as he pushed her back, they fell down the steps.

Bird and Miss Kearns worked at the Sandy Cove Club in Kinmel Bay

Mr Bird said she was kicking so he straddled her and held his hand on her throat "until she stopped moving".

"I just panicked. I did not know what to do," he told police, "I was afraid the children would come out of their room."

The court heard Mr Bird then moved Miss Kearns' body to the garden tree house.

He said he went back to see if she had moved but when she had not, he went to sleep and took the children to school the next morning.

Two days later Mr Bird put her body into a trailer before driving it to Sandy Cove Club in Kinmel Bay, where they had both worked.

But he said it was not his intention to kill Miss Kearns.

"All I wanted to do was restrain her," he said.

"She just went still and limp."

The case continues.