A WITNESS to an alleged murder 'changed his story' and has been staying with the brother of the man who was killed, a court heard.

Cordelia Farrell, 38, denies murder after she stabbed her partner Wayne Coventry through the chest with a kitchen knife. On Monday at Worcester Crown Court witness Stefan Strong gave evidence over live videolink, contradicting the account he gave to police on the day of the alleged murder and in a video interview recorded the following day.

Mr Coventry died from a stab wound which penetrated to a depth of 9cm, piercing his aorta, on October 14 last year. Tyrone Smith QC, for Farrell, asked Mr Strong if he remembered telling police at the scene that Mr Coventry had 'stabbed her coat' while she was wearing it.

However, Mr Strong said the coat was 'already slashed' and that Mr Coventry 'did not have a knife in his hand'. He said he could not remember telling police 'Wayne had stabbed her'.

Read more: Alleged murderer grinned as she stabbed victim

Mr Strong was asked if he remembered telling a detective he was not in the kitchen when Mr Coventry was stabbed. But he said: "I was in the kitchen with the dogs and I seen everything."

He admitted he told police he wanted to change something in his story. "Has anyone asked you to change your story?" said Mr Smith.

"Nobody has asked me to change anything" replied Mr Strong. He also denied anyone had asked him to take out the detail about Wayne having a knife in the kitchen.

In an interview recorded last Friday Mr Strong said Farrell 'smirked' when she held the knife and had a 'a big grin on her face'. "Is that the truth?" said Mr Smith, Mr Strong said it was and denied he had been asked to say that.

He was asked by Dayfdd Enoch QC, prosecuting, if he was 'frightened of anyone' and said 'no' and then 'one person - Cordelia'. When asked by the prosecutor if it was true he had stayed at Sean Coventry's address last night (the brother of Wayne Coventry) and the night before that he said 'yes, that's correct'.

The trial continues.