THE former partner of a man accused of murder has told a jury how he admitted carrying out the stabbing.
Paula Nugent, who gave her evidence from behind screens, told Bradford Crown Court that Paul Kelly told her he had fatally stabbed 52-year-old Kim Driver.
His confession came during a late-night conversation at her Mirfield home.
The prosecution has alleged that 31-year-old Kelly knifed the alcoholic and former drug user to death after becoming jealous about Mr Driver’s made-up claims that he was having some kind of relationship with Miss Nugent.
She told the jury yesterday how Kelly had been at her home, but left to buy drugs at about 11pm.
Miss Nugent said when he returned later that night, he had changed his clothing and told her that Kim was dead.
She said she had laughed at the remark and Kelly asked her why she was laughing.
Miss Nugent told the court that Kelly then asked her why Mr Driver had been saying that he was taking her out for a meal.
“I said I didn’t know,” said Miss Nugent.
“Was he to your knowledge in fact taking you out?” asked prosecutor Rodney Jameson QC.
“No,” replied Miss Nugent.
She said Kelly also told her that Mr Driver had been saying she was no longer Kelly’s woman.
At one stage she said Kelly had told her: “How dare he say he’s taking you out?”
Miss Nugent said Kelly went on to say that he had stabbed Mr Driver and that he had “made sure”.
Kelly, of Abbey Road, Fartown, has denied murdering Mr Driver, whose body was found at his own flat in Crawthorne Crescent, Deighton, last July.
The jury heard at the start of the two-week trial how Mr Driver’s body was discovered about 40 hours after the alleged murder.
He had been stabbed 10 times in the chest and once in the abdomen.
The trial continues.
