A MAN accused of killing his girlfriend “slashed her pretty face then stabbed her and stabbed her again”, a court heard today.

Ricardo Morrison, aged 22, is accused of killing 19-year-old Amy Barnes on November 8, last year, at the home they shared in Moss Street, Farnworth.

Morrison, who denies the charge, was today cross-examined at Manchester Crown Court.

Stuart Driver, prosecuting, suggested Morrison had in fact killed Amy, after returning from a trip to town, sneaking back into the house and picking up a knife.

Mr Driver said: “You got the first bus back to Farnworth and you knew she was locked in. You sneaked round the back with the intention to go through the back door and into the kitchen. You picked something up but it was not your driving licence, it was a sharp knife. In seconds you slashed her pretty face and stabbed her and stabbed her again."

Morrison replied: “No, Mr Driver."

“You ran away and left her to die,” said Mr Driver. Morrison replied: “I left her, yeah."

Morrison claims he entered the house in Moss Street, Farnworth, and found Miss Barnes at the bottom of the stairs. He earlier told the court that he put her in the recovery position and left when he heard sirens.

The court previously heard a 999 recording where Amy phoned the emergency services herself and told an operator that she had been stabbed by her boyfriend.

Mr Driver suggested that for Morrison’s account to be true, the jury would have heard Morrison enter the house on the recording.

Mr Driver said: “You saw a shocking sight. Did you shout or say her name or gasp out loud?” Morrison replied: “I was in shock.”

Mr Driver continued: “Did you start crying?” Morrison replied: “I was in shock."

“And then you say you heard sirens coming. That’s a lie isnt it?" Morrison replied: “No sir."

Mr Driver said: “If you had been in that situation you would have said the same as what her dad did when he found her. You would have said: ‘Amy, Amy are you alright?’ but you did not make a squeak. We have listened to the CD and she is talking, saying that her boyfriend stabbed her, and then she loses speech. So it must be that the jury, without realising, were listening to you come in the room and move her and silently leave.”

Proceeding.