‘Subterfuge’ on the minds of the two female defendants

PROSECUTORS said “subterfuge” was certainly on the mind of defendants Sarah Williams and Katrina Walsh.

Mr McDermott said tape was used to disguise an 8 and make it look like a 3 on the Renault Clio.

Coming to the day of Sadie Hartley’s death, he said: “Sarah Williams went to work as usual that morning, but after that, nothing was usual.”

The court was told that at around 3 o’clock in the afternoon she made a telephone call saying she wasn’t feeling well and she was going home. ‘This was the first part of her alibi for the murder’, he said. He added she did this so she could say ‘I was ill at home.’

He said a man came round at around 4pm and Ms Williams was pretending to vomit and act as if she was ill.

The court heard she sent a text message saying “Just had another cup of tea. Going to switch off light and have a nap now. Will ring when I wake up as long as not late xxxxx”

“This was an out and out lie,” Mr McDermott said. He said at around 7.15pm the Clio, with its modified plate, was spotted on the M6.

The jury was then shown footage of the Clio arriving into Sunnybank Road and later of what the prosecution said is Sarah Williams leaving the murder scene and getting back into the Clio.

He said the Clio took a longer “diversionary” route to Ellesmere Port from Helmshore.

The prosecution said Ms Williams and Ms Walsh then met at Westminster car park in Ellesmere Port to “dump” the Clio there. Mr McDermott said a towel and washing up liquid was used to wipe down parts of the Clio. However, he said “blood in the footwell was probably not visible and was certainly missed by both of them.” They then both left in Katrina Walsh’s Astra, he said. Mr McDermott said Sadie Hartley’s body was not discovered until late on the evening of Friday, January 15. Her colleague raised the alarm as it was unusual for there to be no contact via phone or email or the like. He said Sarah Williams’s home and Volvo car were both searched. Swabs of the bath were taken and the DNA of Sadie Hartley was revealed. In the Volvo were a pair of glasses and on the lens was Sadie Hartley’s blood. A pair of Deichmann boots which the prosecution trace to a shopping trip on January 12 were recovered when Katrina Walsh led the police to their hiding place, it was claimed.

Mr McDermott said “they match the marks left by the murderer.”

Miss Williams was arrested in the dead of night on Sunday, January 17. In interview she denied having anything to do with Ms Hartley’s death. Proceeding