Williams ‘besotted’ with man
SARAH Williams acted like a besotted teenager when talking about her ski instructor love interest, a jury has heard.
A work colleague said she would seek out Ian Johnston whenever he visited Manchester’s Chill Factore indoor ski centre.
Ms Williams, 35, a customer sales adviser at Crystal Ski Holidays - based at the Chill Factore - is said to have incapacitated Mr Johnston’s partner, Sadie Hartley, 60, with a stun gun before she stabbed her more than 40 times.
The prosecution in her trial at Preston Crown Court say the defendant was obsessed with ex-fireman Mr Johnston, 57, who was said to have jilted her after she became possessive and difficult.
Crystal Ski sales manager Colin Pye said he recalled Ms Williams speaking about a man named Ian to other members of staff last year. In a statement he said: “I got the impression it was not a full-on relationship but she seemed very intense about it. The way she talked about it was like a besotted teenager. She would not shut up about it.”
Mr Pye added: “I recall whenever she heard he was in the centre she would seek him out.”
Ms Williams had worked in the shop for a couple of years after previously visiting as a customer with her partner, 75-year-old David Hardwick, to book holidays, the court heard.
The jury was told that on January 14 this year - the day of the murder - Ms Williams arrived at work about noon but soon after went “scuttling” to the toilet. Mr Pye said he sent her home ill during the afternoon.At just after 8pm, communications director Ms Hartley received a knock on the door of her £500,000 home in Helmshore while Mr Johnston was abroad in Switzerland. An assailant armed with a 500,000-volt stun gun pressed it to her head and then launched a frenzied knife attack.
Ms Williams claims she was ill in bed at home.
The trial continues.