A man accused of murdering his “soul mate” filmed himself sipping a glass of beer in a Portuguese hotel two weeks after her death. George Gordon, who is alleged to have dismembered Delia McInerney and stashed her body in a chest freezer in his St Helens flat, sent one of her friends a message telling her he was “destroyed” because she was in an “induced coma”, Liverpool Crown Court heard.
Body found with guinea pigs
Ms McInerney was found alongside her five “beloved” guinea pigs, who Gordon is alleged to have drowned, in January this year. But the 62-year-old, from Anfield, was said to have been killed as long ago as April 2023, having apparently been hit over the head with a hammer.
Only days later, Ms McInerney had supposedly been planning to move to Portugal to begin a “new life”. Gordon meanwhile bought a sledgehammer and electric handsaw from eBay in the weeks before her death before stealing thousands of pounds from her bank account and taking out a £10,000 loan in her name, with the 65-year-old currently on trial accused of her murder.
Floral shirt selfie
The jury of seven women and five men were told on Wednesday that Gordon, known as “Chris” to neighbours and friends, flew from Liverpool John Lennon Airport to Porto on a Ryanair flight on April 24, 2023. At 7.02am on April 25, Susana Antunes, a close friend of Ms McInerney in Portugal, sent Gordon a WhatsApp message saying that she would meet him the following day.
The prosecution earlier told the jury that the deceased's phone was used to send a message to Ms Antunes which said: “Susana, can you phone urgently? This is Chris, Delia's friend.” Ms Antunes was then told that “Delia was ill”, with Gordon having told her that he was visiting Portugal to pay taxes concerning her property in Pedrogao Grande. After receiving Ms Antunes' message, his phone then accessed a dating site called “Miss Travel”.
Ms McInerney's phone was thereafter used to take a picture of a swimming pool at Gordon's hotel before it was used to send a message to a contact known as “Bertram Swiss Architect”, which said: “She's been taken ill. I have to sort out some things for her over here.” Gordon's phone later accessed two pornographic videos in the early hours of April 27. Ms McInerney's phone, which had earlier sent an email to a friend called Emma Knight, saying “Chris hasn't been able to get out of bed for a week”, was then used by him to take a selfie, which showed him in a floral shirt and sunglasses.
Gordon subsequently used his own phone to take a picture from the window, showing a swimming pool, before he then took more photos, including another selfie. At 2.40pm, Ms McInerney's phone then messaged a friend stating: “Sorry Julia, this is Chris, Delia's friend. I am afraid Delia had a stroke on the 12th of April. She is in an induced coma at the moment. We don't know if she will have any brain damage yet. It's destroyed me as well.” At 4.06pm, a video was then recorded on Ms McInerney's phone showing a seated area overlooking countryside. Three minutes later, Gordon filmed a selfie video on the device showing him in a floral shirt and wearing glasses.
In the video, played to the jury, Gordon took a sip from a small glass of beer while smiling and breathing heavily. Merseyside Police Detective Sergeant Ryan Leahey said of the clip: “A superficial scratch is seen on his outer forearm.”
‘I am far from an angel’
On April 27, Bertram Hipp then sent a WhatsApp message to Ms McInerney asking how she was. A text in response said: “Delia is still in induced coma. I have her phone here. Am in her house now. Seems fine.” Mr Hipp replied: “Hi Chris, thanks for taking care of her things and wish you a nice time still in Portugal. I was praying for her and was putting a prayer request in our home church group that Delia was attending for a year in my house. If you want to make a visit here, you are most welcome.”
Using Ms McInerney's phone, Gordon replied: “She will never be the same, as when she fell she hit her head. I was not due to return for five hours, but left a file and called back. Otherwise, she would have been dead. The Lord has a habit of being with Dee. She is a very special person. She has worked for me for over 22 years now. I can't get used to her not instructing me what to do. God willing, she will be able to return. I am not going to be able to get to the house until late Sunday evening, but hopefully will speak before I leave.”
Ms Antunes later sent a WhatsApp message to Gordon where she called him an “angel that came into my life”. Gordon replied: “Don't be stupid darling, you're a very special person. God works in mysterious ways. I am far from an angel. I am likely heading in the opposite direction. Keep smiling.”
Delia McInerney 'not seen for some time'
Martin Reid KC, appearing for the crown, previously told the jury during the prosecution's opening last week: “On the 8th of January this year, the police attended the defendant George Gordon's flat in St Helens. They went there because concerns had been raised by a number of people and agencies about the whereabouts and wellbeing of Delia McInerney. Ms McInerney had been friends with the defendant for many years and spent much of her time living at his flat, although she had her own house in Liverpool and property abroad. Ms McInerney's friends had not seen her for some time. The defendant, for over 18 months, lied to them about her whereabouts and sometimes pretended to be Ms McInerney when communicating with her friends by phone messages or email. Unbeknown to them, but known very well to the defendant, Delia McInerney had died in April 2023 at the defendant's hands. Her dismembered body was found in a chest freezer in the defendant's flat on the 8th of January this year. In the meantime, the defendant fraudulently obtained thousands of pounds from her bank accounts and obtained a loan and credit cards in her name. The defendant admits that he killed Delia McInerney but claims, we understand, that he acted in self-defence.”
Gordon, who is represented by Gordon Cole KC and Philip Tully, denies murder and causing unnecessary suffering to an animal after allegedly drowning five guinea pigs. The trial, before Mr Justice Goose, continues.
