A witness in a murder trial broke down in tears after being told her friend, who she believed was in a coma, had actually died, a court has heard. Susana Antunes gave evidence via video link from Portugal at Liverpool Crown Court, where George Gordon, 65, is accused of murdering Delia McInerney.
Ms McInerney, 62, from Anfield, was found dead in Gordon's flat on Gerards Court in St Helens in January this year, alongside her five guinea pigs, which he is alleged to have drowned. The prosecution says she was killed as long ago as April 2023, having been hit over the head with a hammer, just days before she was planning to move to Portugal.
Witness describes friendship and last contact
Ms Antunes, who described herself as a "really good friend" of Ms McInerney, said they first met in 2017 at a bar in Pedrógão Grande, Portugal, where the deceased owned property. She told the court: "She was a little bit like a conspiracy theorist, in my opinion. She was always sending me emails. We were always speaking by WhatsApp all the time. We loved each other."
Their last contact was during April 2023, with Ms Antunes recalling: "It was the guinea pigs. She was always sending me videos. She was treating them like dogs. I was joking with her about that. She had little toys for them to play [with]."
Asked whether Ms McInerney had discussed moving to another country, Ms Antunes said: "She was looking for houses in Portugal. She didn't like the place where she bought her house here, where she was living in Portugal. She was looking for other properties to live permanently, to stay here. She showed me a few to ask my opinion. I remember there was a property, there was like three hectares of land."
Friend told of coma and recovery
Ms Antunes said she first spoke to Gordon, who was also known as Chris, after he came to Portugal. Recalling the first contact, she said: "The first time he spoke to me was on Delia's phone, Delia's WhatsApp account, to say that she had an accident and she was in a coma. He knew I was a good friend. Because I was asking about her on her phone, her number, he contacted me first, giving me all the information that she was in coma. She had an accident. She hit her head on the coffee table."
Gordon travelled to Pedrógão Grande in late April 2023, and Ms Antunes said he came to check on Ms McInerney's property and deal with taxes while she was in a coma. She later had dinner with him at his hotel, visited a tax office with him, and took him to Porto for his flight back to the UK on May 4 2023.
Ms Antunes said she was later told Ms McInerney had woken from the coma and was improving, though she could not move her right side. She added: "He also told me she got a heart attack or something." Gordon also discussed the property, saying it was not suitable for her condition due to stairs.
Witness learns of friend's death
Ms Antunes wiped away tears as she described learning of Ms McInerney's death in early 2026. Asked what she had last been told about her friend's condition, she replied: "She was getting better and being treated and she could come soon to Portugal. That was the last news I had."
During the prosecution's opening, Martin Reid KC told the jury that police attended Gordon's flat on January 8 after concerns were raised about Ms McInerney's whereabouts. He said Gordon had lied to her friends for over 18 months about her whereabouts and sometimes pretended to be her in messages. Her dismembered body was found in a chest freezer in the flat.
Gordon admits killing Ms McInerney but claims he acted in self-defence. He denies murder and causing unnecessary suffering to an animal. The trial, before Mr Justice Goose, continues.
