Wife Alethea Taylor's details erased by accused, jury told
An undertaker accused of killing his missing wife scrubbed out entries relating to her on their calendar less than a month after she disappeared, a court heard.
John Taylor also sold his wife Alethea's car and moved most of her belongings up into the loft, a jury at Worcester Crown Court was told.
But the 61-year-old, giving evidence for a second day, denied murder and said he still saw her as a 'missing person'.
Grandfather Taylor reported his wife missing on January 19 last year. The retired teacher, 63, has not been seen since.
Taylor, who denies murder, is accused of killing Mrs Taylor at their home in Mortimer Drive, Orleton, near Ludlow, and disposing of her body.
The court has heard Taylor had started an affair with Alison Dearden, from Brimfield, six months before his wife disappeared.
Prosecuting counsel Mr Michael Burrows, cross-examining Taylor, said: "As far as you were concerned, Alethea was never going to come back, was she? You got on with your life, developing your relationship with Alison Dearden, didn't you?"
"Yes," Taylor replied.
Mr Burrows continued: "And you told people she (Alethea) was dead, didn't you?"
"No," Taylor said.
Mr Burrows asked him: "But you sold her car and took her off the insurance for yours?"
"I did sell the car, yes," Taylor admitted.
The prosecutor added: "You cleared the house of her favourite things, put them in the loft."
Taylor replied: "Only because I was decorating, but yes, that's right."
Mr Burrows went on: "You deleted entries on the calendar relating to Alethea, didn't you?"
"Can't remember," Taylor replied.
The jury was then shown the calendar, which showed a theatre trip Mrs Taylor had planned for the couple in February last year had been scribbled out.
Mr Burrows asked him: "You also wrote on entries regarding to Alison, didn't you?"
Taylor said: "There were entries on there regarding to Alison, yes."
"So it seems by the middle of February you were rubbing out entries relating to Alethea and putting on entries relating to Alison," Mr Burrows said.
"Is that right?"
"You must have been supremely confident Alethea was not coming back. And she is not coming back because you killed her, didn't you?"
"No," Taylor replied. "As far as I am concerned Alethea is a missing person."
The jury heard earlier yesterday excerpts read by Mr Burrows from notebooks Mrs Taylor kept as secret diaries.
The trial continues
