George Gordon is due to stand trial today, Monday, charged with murder after a woman's body was found in a freezer. The 65-year-old defendant is accused of killing 64-year-old Delia McInerney, and he has pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Police attended an address on Gerards Court in St Helens in January this year and discovered human remains inside a freezer, following earlier reports of concern for a person's safety.
Trial scheduled at Liverpool Crown Court
A six-week trial is scheduled to begin at Liverpool Crown Court this afternoon, Monday. The case is listed before Mr Justice Goose in courtroom 51 from 2pm.
Gordon, of Gerards Court, also denies a second count of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal, having been accused of killing five guinea pigs.
Police discovery in St Helens
Merseyside Police attended the address at around 11.30pm on Thursday, January 8. A mobile police station and numerous police vehicles were seen in a car park outside the apartment block, with a white forensics tent erected at the rear of the building.
CSI officers were spotted in the area carrying items including a backpack, and searches were also carried out at Ms McInerney's home on Douglas Road in Anfield.
Residents of Gerards Court described the street as "such a quiet row of houses", with one woman saying: "I saw the police, but I don’t like to read the bad news. It's usually really quiet and peaceful around here. We've lived here around nine years, and there's never been any bother."
Charges and family tribute
The murder charge, which Gordon denies, alleges that Ms McInerney was killed "on or before April 12, 2023". The count of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal states that, between April 10, 2023 and January 8 2026, he "killed five guinea pigs by pulling the neck, restricting or crushing the vertebrae to dislocate".
Delia's sister Rita McInerney described her as a "great artist, a free spirit" and "really out there", adding: "A rebel. Intelligent, with a dynamic personality. Kind, caring and helpful. She was well loved as a sister and friend. I will miss her always."
