A man accused of murdering a woman by drowning her in a river has declined to give evidence in his own defence.

Vincent Morgan is alleged to have killed his partner Lisa Welford in the River Derwent in Malton in April.

On day six of his trial, his barrister James Bourne-Arton KC rose to start the defence case at Leeds Crown Court.

He said: “On behalf of the defendant, I can indicate we do not intend to call him or any further evidence.”

The Recorder of Leeds, Judge Guy Kearl KC asked if Morgan had been told the consequences of not giving evidence. 

Mr Bourne-Arton KC said Morgan had been told.

He then closed the defence case.

Judge Kearl told the jury they could conclude that Morgan didn't give evidence because he didn't have an answer to the prosecution case that would stand up to cross-examination. 

He said the defence case was that the prosecution evidence wasn't strong enough that Morgan needed to give an answer to it. 

Morgan, 47, of Chandler’s Wharf, Castlegate, Malton, denies murder and two charges of causing actual bodily harm to Lisa, who was 49 when she died.

The jury heard he was subject to a domestic violence protection order (DVPO) and was forbidden to contact her or be with her on April 24.

Lisa WelfordLisa Welford (Image: North Yorkshire Police)

Earlier in the trial, the jury heard that Morgan told police by the riverside when he was arrested for breaching the DVPO that Lisa had phoned him sounding suicidal and he had gone to her.

“What am I supposed to do?” he told police.

After he was taken to York Hospital for a check-up because he had been in the river himself, he told police: “She jumped into the river, I jumped straight after her” and “She said she was going to kill herself”.

The jury had also heard that he asked ambulance staff if Lisa would survive.

Leeds Crown Court heard medical evidence that Lisa was pulled alive out of the water, but was diagnosed with a bleed on the brain and taken to Hull Royal Infirmary where she died on April 25.

When he was questioned by police following Lisa's death, Morgan gave a statement he had prepared with his solicitor and then declined to answer questions.

In the statement, he claimed he didn’t cause Lisa’s injuries and wasn’t sure how she got them. He claimed he heard a “noise of something” going into the river, realised Lisa was in the river, went into the river himself and got her to the riverbank.

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The prosecution alleges Morgan had subjected Lisa to domestic violence for a long period of time, including pulling out her hair and breaking one of her teeth.  

Morgan is alleged to have broken Lisa’s thigh by the river and, after a pub worker saw them in undergrowth by the footpath shortly after 11pm, Morgan is alleged to have put Lisa into the river.

Lisa was pulled from the river by the pub worker’s ex-boyfriend, whom she called, and a police officer after she called 999.

The trial continues.