A WOMAN accused of murder told investigating detectives she stayed at the victim’s flat to keep away from her “controlling” boyfriend, a court heard.

Seth Stollery, 48, and Freya Parker-Magowan, 44, are charged with murdering Paul Gillett at his home in Station Road, Clacton.

Firefighters were called to a blaze at Mr Gillett’s flat on Boxing Day last year, finding his lifeless body in the bath.

He had been badly beaten and a murder investigation was launched.

A trial at Chelmsford Crown Court heard Parker-Magowan had stayed at Mr Gillett’s flat on Christmas Day.

Jane Oldfield, prosecuting, took on the role of Parker-Magowan as she dictated a police interview held on December 27.

It was the second of two interviews undertaken by the defendant that day. In the first, she answered “no comment” to every question posed by detectives.

In the second, held between 8.45pm and 9.45pm at Colchester Police Station, she was more forthcoming.

Taking on the role of Parker-Magowan, Ms Oldfield said: “I was involved in the drug world a few years ago, but I managed to get away from that. I needed a change of lifestyle.”

When questioned about her relationship with Stollery, she said: “We came to Clacton and they housed us at Beach Road, the Frandon.”

The former Frandon Hotel operates as a hostel for the homeless.

In 2017, Tendring Council moved to shut the hostel down, claiming it did not have permission to operate as a homeless centre.

Parker-Magowan went on to describe her first impressions of Mr Gillett, telling police she was introduced to him “a couple of days before Christmas”.

She said: “The impression I got about Paul is he is a nice guy.

“He is amazing, he is a really nice, gentle geezer.

“He talked to me about his wife and how he nursed her through months and months.

“We had some heart to hearts, you know.”

She said she felt she had to “run away” from Stollery.

She said: “He was constantly getting at me. I would say very controlling.

“Paul said I could lay low until Christmas.”

  • The trial continues.