Wigan beautician murder trial jury sent home for the night.

Former cage fighter Andrew Wadsworth is on trial at Manchester Crown Court for the Billinge beautician's slaying.

He admits stabbing the 32-year-old to death but denies there was malice aforethought and so it was manslaughter rather than murder.

The fatal attack took place in the front bedroom of her home in Up Holland Road, on the afternoon of May 20, after Wadsworth binged on alcohol and cocaine.

The hearing was told Ms Belshaw admitted to Wadsworth days before that she had been receiving £1,200 a week for spending two hours with a “sugar daddy” but that since September 2019 she had been denying to him she was an escort.

Ms Belshaw also dismissed his persistent claims she had been sleeping with different people in Wigan and angrily denied on May 19 she had sex with a relative.

Giving evidence, Wadsworth said he had “strong suspicions” about her sexual activities but had “nothing nailed on to prove it” until May 20, when he said he was “overwhelmed” by her admissions at her home.

Another issue, he said, was about her “crying poverty… when she was earning a lot of money”.

Wadsworth said he had given her “thousands” in cash before they split up last Christmas.

He denied a suggestion from Tim Storrie QC, cross-examining, that he had become “obsessed” with Ms Belshaw.

Mr Storrie asked: “The reason why you killed Melissa was, you say, you lost control at what she said. Do you mean you lost your temper?”

Wadsworth said: “No, I didn’t lose my temper. I lost control.”

“In less than 10 seconds Melissa had been stabbed to death. There was no prolonged attack. If I did know what I was doing for those few seconds I would not have stabbed her in the first place.”

Mr Storrie said: “You have too little courage to admit what you have done – the cold, callous murder of Melissa Belshaw.”

The defendant said: “I don’t agree with murder. I didn’t intend to kill. There was no time for a thought to murder her.”

Wadsworth, a former professional cage fighter, started dating Ms Belshaw in March 2018 after he had been released from jail on licence the previous November following convictions in 2011 for robbery, possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear or violence, aggravated burglary and causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

He was recalled to prison in January 2019 and then released again on March 4 this year after a parole hearing.

Wadsworth denies murder and separate offences of attempting to murder a neighbour of Ms Belshaw and making a threat to kill against Ms Belshaw’s 13-year-old daughter.