Man in pub told customer 'I've killed Caroline'

A man has admitted stabbing his girlfriend, but said he did not mean to kill her.

David Liptrot, 56, and Caroline Gore, 43, had been out drinking together, but following a row, she left him. Mr Liptrot searched for her, and went into women's toilets of pubs to find her, a court was told.

He then went back to her flat in Wigan and when she returned, three hours later, a jury was told she had been sitting on the toilet when she was stabbed five times by Liptrot, leaving her with neck, chest and abdomen wounds.

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Liptrot, from Chorley, left the flat 15 minutes later. The following afternoon, while at a pub, a court was told he told a customer: "I've killed Caroline." When the landlady found out what he'd said, Liptrot is alleged to have said: "If there is ever big problems, you get rid of them, you get shut".

Liptrot has pleaded guilty to manslaughter, jurors at his Manchester Crown Court trial were told. He accepts he unlawfully killed her by stabbing her with a knife, and denies murder, saying he did not intend to cause her serious injury, as reported by the MEN.

The court was told Liptrot claims Mrs Gore was violent towards him, causing him to fear serious violence and "[losing] self-control". Opening the case, prosecutor Alaric Bassano said the couple had been in an "on-off, toxic relationship", with "excessive drinking on both parts" and "physical violence".

While Liptrot said it was Ms Gore who had been violent to him, the prosecution alleged the evidence suggests it was the "other way around".

Mr Bassano said: "Witnesses describe seeing her with physical injuries on repeated occasions on many of which she described that these injuries had been caused by the defendant."

Jurors were told Liptrot was prosecuted twice for assaulting Ms Gore in 2022 and was handed two short prison sentences. He was made the subject of a restraining order, banning him from contacting her for two years, the court heard.

In March 2023 he breached the order and was prosecuted for stalking Ms Gore and sending her abusive messages. He was released in June 2023 and went on to breach the order again after Ms Gore called the police when he turned up at her flat, showing them a bite injury, jurors were told.

The court heard that on the night of October 29, 2023, the couple had been out drinking in pubs around Leigh and Atherton from 12pm. Mr Bassano went on to say that at around 5pm there was "acrimony" between them, with Ms Gore appearing upset and trying to get away from Liptrot.

He said: “The defendant was becoming agitated at her attempts to leave him - he twice sought her out in the ladies toilets in the pub in Atherton, twice returned inside the pub looking for her and he finally travelled from Atherton to Wigan, still looking for her."

The court heard he asked members of the public to check if she was in the toilets. He then repeatedly tried to call her and twice before going to her flat at Douglas House, in Wigan, where he got into the communal area by following someone in, the court heard.

He was seen leaving on CCTV by the fire door, before returning later at around 8pm, the court was told. The prosecutor added: “At 8.16pm Ms Gore entered the Dog and Partridge pub alone, and asked the barmaid a number of questions about the defendant including if he had been in the pub, how much he’d had to drink and what time he had left.

“The obvious inference from these questions was that she feared what might be in store for her if she returned home to be confronted by the defendant in drink. Ms Gore remained inside this pub until 10.43pm. At 11.05pm she entered Douglas House and at 11.06pm she entered the lift to the third floor.

“At 11.23pm, the defendant left the premises. Mr Liptrot accepts that he stabbed Ms Gore shortly before he left the premises.”

Ms Gore’s body was found by police that evening after they conducted a welfare check, prompted by the landlady calling 999. She was discovered slumped by the toilet with her underwear pulled down "with the impression being that she had gone to the bathroom on arriving home", it was said.

She had a number of injuries, including a deep wound to her neck, which had cut through a main artery and vein; three stab wounds to the front of the chest which had damaged ribs and major internal organs; and a 7cm wound to her abdomen.

Liptrot was arrested and interviewed, telling officers that Ms Gore was "causing a disturbance" in the bathroom, claiming she had "gone berserk", the court heard. Mr Bassano added: "He said she was screaming and shouting and was being violent, grabbing and scratching at him.

“The defendant said he was pushing her back and it was then that she produced a knife which she was jabbing towards him. He told her to put it down and during the fight this knife ended up falling into the toilet.

"He said that he was on the floor at one point of the fight and he thought he picked up the knife at this time. He claimed to have memory loss of what then happened but appeared to acknowledge that he must have stabbed her and killed her.”

Examination of Ms Gore’s flat showed there was "no evidence of a disturbance", jurors were told. There was also damage to the mattress in the bedroom, appearing to be "stab marks", which the prosecution allege was Liptrot "venting his anger".

Liptrot, of Shelley Close, Coppull, denies murder. The trial, which is estimated to last between two and three weeks, continues.

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