A 31-year-old man has admitted killing his girlfriend but denied murder as a court heard how a bitter confrontation preceded the death of the pregnant woman, who suffered more than 60 stab, incised and puncture wounds.
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Stephan Garner is facing trial at Manchester Crown Court over the death of Amber O’Brien, 33, whose body was discovered in the bathroom of the eighth-floor flat they shared in Blackley, north Manchester.
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The court heard that the couple had been experiencing relationship difficulties before the fatal incident on April 18. Their final confrontation reportedly involved accusations of infidelity and a dispute surrounding O’Brien’s decision to terminate her nine-week pregnancy with twins.
Garner has pleaded guilty to manslaughter but denies murder. During his testimony, he described the relationship as troubled and said he had wanted to make things work between them.
“It just felt like it was sometimes impossible to resolve trivial issues. When arguments did occur she wouldn’t move past it, she would continue. I loved her. I cared about her. I was sad about the way things were going. I wanted it to work”
Details of the injuries sustained by O’Brien emerged during the proceedings. A pathologist found that she had suffered more than 60 separate stab, incised and puncture wounds, including 32 to her face and neck.
Her body was found on the bathroom floor of the flat at Somerton Court, where she had been living with Garner. She was naked, covered with a blue tarpaulin and lying in water, according to evidence presented to the court.
The circumstances surrounding her death and Garner’s account of their final confrontation are central to the case.
Jurors previously listened to a recording of a telephone call O’Brien made on April 15 to request a termination of her pregnancy.
When Garner was asked whether he knew she was planning to end the pregnancy, he told the court:
“No, none of it was discussed.”
He explained that O’Brien had asked him to drive her to hospital, telling him she needed to have her kidney checked. According to his testimony, she did not tell him that the visit was connected to her pregnancy.
Garner said he felt betrayed because he had wanted to be present during the scan.
“I felt a bit betrayed by the fact she lied to me about the reason she was going. I wanted to be present during that scan.”
He further told the court that O’Brien informed him during their final confrontation that she had terminated both pregnancies because she did not want to have children with someone she considered a cheater.
Garner said the revelation left him devastated and angry.
The court also heard details of the events on the evening of April 17, hours before O’Brien died.
Garner said he went to a pub in Swinton with a friend, where they consumed cocaine and alcohol.
“We took some cocaine, we drank some alcohol at the pub,”
He said he later dropped O’Brien at her mother’s home before collecting her and returning to his flat with his friend.
According to Garner, the couple began arguing after O’Brien accused him of cheating. He claimed the disagreement escalated and that she dragged him from a chair.