A Coalville man has told a court he cut his girlfriend's throat after strangling her because he thought people would 'be cross' at him.

The BBC website reports that Ross McCullum is accused of murdering Megan Newborough, 23, after inviting her to his home when his parents were out.

The 30-year-old has admitted to Ms Newborough's manslaughter but denies he deliberately killed her.

Mr McCullum has been giving evidence in a trial at Leicester Crown Court.

The jury has previously been told he killed Ms Newborough in the living room of his home, in Windsor Close, Coalville in Leicestershire, on the night of Friday 6 August last year.

Mr McCullum and Ms Newborough, from Nuneaton in Warwickshire, had been in a short relationship having met as colleagues at the Ibstock Brick factory in Leicestershire in June 2021.

He previously told the court he lost control in a "blind rage" having suffered an episode of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Mr McCullum told the jury he hated himself for what he had done

Under cross-examination Mr McCullum was asked about why, having throttled Ms Newborough, he then used a kitchen knife to cut her neck 14 times.

Mr McCullum said: "Everyone is going to be cross at me.

"It made sense at the time.

"I'm trying to explain rationally how I felt at a very irrational, manic time."

John Cammegh KC, prosecuting, asked: "Rather than dial 999 or rush next door for help, you thought it would be appropriate to pick up a carving knife and take it to Megan's neck?"

Mr McCullum said: "I don't think it's appropriate, I was just pacing around.

"It made sense people would be cross at me that I'd strangled her.

"It made sense."

Mr Cammegh asked: "You thought by finding the knife, choosing to pick it up... walking from one room to another, kneeling down by her body and using it in the way you did.

"That those several choices you made were simply because you thought it would be preferable for the objective observer to discover that Megan had had a knife used on her, rather than having died through strangulation.

"Is that really what you're telling this jury?"

Mr McCullum replied: "It isn't as cut and dried as that. I didn't decide.

"I didn't choose or intend to hurt Megan."

The court previously heard how Mr McCullum sent text messages to Miss Newborough's phone, knowing she was dead, after he used her own car to dump the human resources worker in a lane near Woodhouse Eaves, Leicestershire.

The trial continues.