A YOUNG woman accused of murdering a debt collector has told a jury she played no part in his death.
Rachael Horton, 19, who worked in telesales in Connah’s Quay, took to the stand yesterday to testify in the murder trial following the death of Martin Ithell of Robinsons Croft, Boughton Heath, Chester.
Horton is jointly accused of murder alongside her former fiancé Scott Davidson, originally from Elton, Chester.
The pair deny murdering the 49-year-old commercial debt collector and doorman at the home they shared in Hawthorne Road, Frodsham.
Andrew Thomas, for Horton, asked his client if she had stabbed Mr Ithell. She replied: “No, I did not.”
Mr Thomas asked if she knew if Davidson had plotted to kill or attack Mr Ithell or that he had his father’s shotgun in the house. She replied “no” to all these questions.
Horton told the Liverpool Crown Court trial she did not call an ambulance after the fatal incident because she was “very scared and panicked and in complete shock”.
“I knew my boyfriend had done something wrong and I did not want to get him into trouble.”
A former pupil of Sutton High School, Ellesmere Port, she said she met Davidson after taking up a job as a barmaid at Destiny and Elite nightclub at Cheshire Oaks in December 2009 when she was 18. After leaving school with nine GCSEs and spending 20 weeks in the Army, Horton went on to work at Sleepland Beds in Deeside with her older sister Beverley.
Horton had moved to her parents Russell and Sheila Horton’s home on Hawthorn Road, Little Sutton.
Horton and Davidson got engaged six months later on holiday in Greece. However Horton said they were “on and off” throughout.
The pair moved into their home in Frodsham in September 2010, but by January Horton had moved back to her parents’ house and Davidson had become involved in a secret affair.
During an argument in January Horton’s text included the phrases “sort your head out” and referred to his aggressive nature towards her.
Despite their relationship breakdown Mr Thomas said the couple were still talking about committing an armed robbery in a bid to get money to pay off a £11,000 debt owed to Mr Ithell.
Mr Thomas asked: “When you talked about armed robberies did it imply that you were physically involved?”
Horton said: “To the extent that I would be involved and that I would drive the car away.”
Horton admitted searching for fake number plates and talking about “a shooter” which, she told the court, referred to an imitation gun.
Horton told jurors she had told Davidson she would “stand by him” if he committed the robbery and did go to prison.
Horton denied knowing, speaking to or ever seeing Mr Ithell before the night of the alleged murder.
Mr Thomas asked: “What did he (Davidson) tell you about Martin Ithell?”
Horton said: “He told me he was a gangster, a man to be feared and that he worked with firearms and was generally a very scary person.
“He referred to him as loan shark but I didn’t really go into why he did it.”
Mr Thomas then asked: “At the time of taking the money did Scott Davidson say anything about his concerns?”
Horton said: “No he just said they were friends and it was a friendly exchange.”
On the night of the alleged murder Horton answered the door to Mr Ithell and left the house after Davidson said the pair were discussing “business”.
Horton said: “I was going to Morrisons in Frodsham.
“I was rooting through my handbag and walking down the steps and I went to the Astra looking for my purse and looked through the window and and that’s when I returned to the house.
“I had my head down still rooting in my bag.”
Horton said she became aware Mr Ithell and Davidson were embroiled in a “heated discussion” and were “grappling and pushing and shoving”.
“I screamed. I threw my bag and it hit the wall between the stairs and the shoe box and I ran into the kitchen.
“I couldn’t see what was going on but I could hear shouting and scuffling.
“I was against the door crying and there was banging on the door and the shouting had stopped and then the bang of the gun shot. With me hearing the gun it made me panic more and I was screaming,
“I was hysterical. I picked up the kitchen knife from the side. It was on the draining board by the kitchen door.
“There was one more thud on the door and it had opened.
“Mr Ithell had fallen against the groove of the door. That’s when Scott came into the kitchen door. He just said “Give us that” or “give me the knife” – something to that effect. After Mr Ithell staggered to the front door I saw him (Davidson) strike Mr Ithell with the knife towards the back of his neck by his head.
“I saw him do it once as the first time it had sickened me and I recoiled and didn’t see it after the first strike.
“I recoiled into kitchen and was hysterically crying and in complete shock.”
Horton said she then took the knife from Davidson who looked “very pale” and took the knife into the kitchen and rinsed it. She added: “I know it was the wrong thing to do.
“I put the knife back in the drawer. I wasn’t in control. I just sat down crying.”