The man accused of murdering his secret lover Saints steward Paula Poolton has started giving his evidence this morning.

Roger Kearney, 57, took to the witness box at Winchester Crown Court.

He told the jury Paula had put no pressure on their relationship, and that he had not arranged to meet her on the evening she disappeared.

"She put no pressure on me whatsoever," he said.

"I did like her. She was a lot of fun when she was sober."

Earlier the court heard the defence open their case saying there were "really worrying weaknesses" in part of the prosecution's case.

Nigel Pascoe QC said despite one of the biggest forensic investigations that the county has seen for a number of years no forensic evidence was found to link Kearney to Paula's killing.

He said: "There's no forensic findings made in relation to Roger Kearney,"

Kearney of Painswick Close, Sarisbury, denies murdering Paula, 40, who was found stabbed to death in the boot of her car in Duncan Road, Swanwick, in 2008.