Woman ‘strangled girlfriend with dressing gown cord’

A 47-year-old woman strangled her lesbian lover with a dressing gown cord after a drunken argument, a Sheffield court was told.

Beverley McManus denies the murder of Margaret Desmond, her partner of 17 years, at their home in Hall Street, Hoyland in August last year, after a row over money.

When the emergency services arrived at the property in the early hours of August 10th, they found 50-year-old Miss Desmond dead on the floor of the living room in a dressing gown, and the cord lying nearby.

The 999 emergency call McManus made was played to the jury at Sheffield Crown Court.

In it, she was heard saying:

“I don’t know what’s happened. She’s just come in, now she’s absolutely comatose,” before trying to wake Miss Desmond up saying, “Oh please wake up love, Margaret.”

Neighbour Beverley Joynes told the court how she was often kept awake at night by the couple’s arguing and that the emergency services had previously had had to attend their property on a number of occasions.

The trial continues.