Last updated 08:17, Friday, 21 November 2008

FARMYARD murder accused Robert Wilson named two of his lovers in a will made after he allegedly killed his wife - leaving one of them nearly half his estate, a court heard.

A draft document drawn up with a solicitor stated he wanted to give Kathy McNeil 45 per cent of his assets while Michelle Dodd would get a racehorse.

The details emerged during day 13 of his trial at Carlisle Crown Court, where the 41-year-old farmer again denied murdering his wife.
But under cross-examination, Wilson told the jury that he actually wanted to give Mrs McNeil £40-45,000 - rather than that percentage of his estate, estimated to be worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Brian Cummings QC, prosecuting, asked the accused a series of questions relating to a draft will drawn up in March this year.
It stated that 45 per cent of Wilson’s estate would go to his brother, David, with another 45 per cent going to Mrs McNeil - his so-called “secret” lover with whom the prosecution say he was leading a double life behind his wife’s back.
Wilson, however, suggested to the court that there may have been some confusion surrounding figures and percentages in connection with his brother and Mrs McNeil.

He said: “I thought it was only £40-45,000. I had mentioned something to Kathy about it as well. I said to Kathy ‘If anything happened to me I have left you something to sort out your divorce’.”

Mr Cummings retorted: “Why give her a penny? She owed you.”

Wilson replied: “I felt guilty about the way I had used her. I had deceived her.”

He also denied deceiving Michelle Dodd.

The prosecutor put it to him: “Michelle Dodd is your bit on the side. Your main intentions were with Kathy McNeil.”
Wilson replied: “No, not at all. The only thing I had in common with Kathy was the physical side of it. We did not have anything else in common at all.

“I did not dress, behave or talk like she wanted me to. I was not the gentleman she wanted. I was too rough around the edges.”
The prosecution claims that Wilson staged a tractor accident either to kill his wife or disguise the fact that he had murdered her in some other way on December 1.

The trigger for the murder, the court has been told, was Wilson’s realisation that the two halves of his life - that with his 53-year-old wife and that with his lover Mrs McNeil - were about to collide.

Wilson also answered questions about the circumstances in which his wife died.

Mr Cummings said to him: “You dragged her into place before running over her.”
“Not at all,” the accused replied.

After further questions, the prosecutor said: “I suggest what actually happened on December 1 was that you murdered your wife.”
Wilson replied: “Not at all.”

The prosecutor continued: “By running her down deliberately or by killing her in some other way - some way that had to do with her head or face which is why you took the trouble to drive over the head.”

“Not at all,” Wilson said.

Asked why he told Mrs McNeil that his wife had committed suicide, he said: “I did not say that to Kathy. I said to Kathy that I had something to tell her and that Jane did not die of cancer like I had previously told her. I said Jane died in a tragic accident on the farm. She asked what kind of accident. I said I ran her over with the tractor. She said ‘How did that happen?’ I said I didn’t know whether she slipped, or fell. I don’t know what happened. I never mentioned suicide.”

Wilson was also asked about wills made by him and his wife in 2004 and why they did not state he and his wife wanted to be cremated - as he claimed they did. Mr Cummings said: “Did Jane say she wanted to be cremated or was it that you wanted to her to be cremated to cremate any evidence?”

“Not at all,” Wilson replied, adding that no member of Mrs Wilson’s family had said she would not want to be cremated.
Wilson also yesterday faced fresh questions about why his wife would choose to go to a horse show at Langholm - as he claimed - rather than on a holiday to the Maldives, which he went on to take with Mrs McNeil. Mr Cummings likened Langholm to the equivalent of “a village fete” in horse circles.

Wilson denied this, stating there were quality horses competing there.

Questions were also asked about insurance policies - one worth £100,000 and another worth £125,000 - taken out by the Wilsons.

The trial continues.