A FATHER accused of killing his former partner has told a jury she was alive and well when he left her flat.

Kelly Davies was found stabbed at her home in Queen Street, Farnworth.

Joseph Davies, aged 36, who denies her murder, told Manchester Crown Court that he made a spur of the moment decision to go travelling in Europe after realising there was no future with Ms Davies.

Two days later her body was found, and her young daughter was standing nearby in the room clutching a doll.

Giving evidence in his own defence Davies, of no fixed address, told how he had met 31-year-old Ms Davies 17 years ago and they had had three children together.

He told the court how they both took drugs, had a tempestuous relationship and had dealings with social services.

In 2011 he was sent to prison and said that while there Ms Davies told him she was breaking off contact with him in order to try to get her youngest child returned to her from care.

When he was released from prison on June 1 he came back to Bolton, left his bags at friend Vincent Walmsley’s house, where he had been offered a place to stay, and went to Ms Davies’ flat.

Later that evening he said they went to Tonge Moor to try to get some drugs and on a second trip alone, he was punched in the face by a man, causing a cut above his eye.

He told the court he went back to Kelly’s flat and fell asleep on the sofa.

The next day he visited his father’s house before going back to Ms Davies’ flat where he shared a takeaway meal with her and their daughter and the two adults drank vodka and lager.

After the girl went to bed at about 10pm, Davies said he had decided the relationship was over and decided to go travelling.

He added: “My mind was all over the place. I had just got out of prison. I didn’t have a fixed place to go. I was rootless.” Davies left the area taking some cash, his passport and his mobile phone and another belonging to Ms Davies, which he claimed he had picked up by mistake.

When he arrived at the airport there were no seats available on flights, so he paid £400 for a taxi to London.

At St Pancras Station he bought a business class ticket to Lille in France, then travelled to Antwerp, Belgium by train and on to The Hague in the Netherlands, where he was hit by a train, which resulted in part of his leg being amputated.

The case continues