A man accused of murdering an artist before dismembering her body and hiding it in a freezer for almost three years came up with 'fantasies' about her whereabouts, a jury heard today.
George Gordon, 65, killed 'eccentric' free spirit Delia McInerney, 62, at his flat in St Helens, Merseyside in April 2023 – just days before she was due to start a new life in Portugal.
He claims he acted in self-defence after she attacked him with a knife.
But the prosecution allege his actions were premeditated and motivated – at least in part – by 'financial gain', and that he also killed her beloved guinea pigs and put their bodies in the freezer.
Giving evidence today at Liverpool Crown Court, Gordon's cousin John Lawler, who was also a friend of Ms McInerney, described her as someone who liked travel and animals.
Around the time Covid lockdowns were lifted in 2021, she had told him of her plans to go to Australia to be with a man she had met online, he said.
Mr Lawler later lost contact with Ms McInerney around 2022 and he said he assumed she was living illegally in Australia.
He also lost contact with Gordon until 2025 when he was asked 'out of the blue' to help clean his flat.
Artist Delia McInerney, 62, has been described as a 'free spirit' who was planning to move to Portugal along with her pets when she vanished
George Gordon, 65, is accused of murdering Ms McInerney and hiding her dismembered remains along with the bodies of her guinea pigs in a chest freezer at his home in St Helens, Merseyside (pictured outside court on a previous occasion)
'He was coming up with fantasies,' he told the jury.
'She’d gone to Australia to meet this man Rene. Then she ran away with his girlfriend to New Zealand.
'The girlfriend’s parents in New Zealand were mega rich. This is what he told me.'
He added: 'He just kept fantasising where she was. She was here, she was there, she was moving on everywhere.'
Another story, the jury heard, was Ms McInerney had 'a farm in Cornwall', which Gordon told him just a few weeks before his arrest.
Other 'multiple locations' he claimed she had travelled to included Mexico, Peru and Denmark.
Under cross-examination from Gordon Cole KC, Mr Lawler said Gordon – who had lived with him for two years after being released from a prison sentence in 2013 – told him: 'Delia's stole all my money.'
Mr Lawler said Ms McInerney was 'affectionate' towards Gordon and would give him a 'big kiss on the cheek' whenever he cooked her a meal.
He denied that Ms McInerney had been in 'control' of Gordon, who was 'exceptionally generous' and 'seemed to enjoy spending'.
She had only ever shouted at Gordon due to him being 'accident prone', he added.
Police outside Gordon's home in St Helens after Ms McInerney's remains were discovered
In the run-up to the alleged murder, Gordon purchased a sledgehammer and cordless handsaw which were 'consistent' with how she died, the prosecution allege.
He also bought a copy of surgical reference book Gray's Anatomy.
After her death, Gordon took thousands of pounds in cash from her bank accounts and fraudulently obtained credit cards and loans in her name.
The prosecution also claim that for 18 months he posed as Ms McInerney – whom he had described as his 'soulmate' – in phone messages and emails to her friends and family, and told 'lies' about her whereabouts.
Today jurors heard how Gordon had spoken to his niece Paula Tillman 'a lot' about Ms McInerney after allegedly murdering her.
Giving evidence, Ms Tillman said: 'He was always talking about Delia, that he loved her and missed her.'
Gordon was said to have told Ms Tillman that Ms McInerney had moved to Australia and started a relationship with a woman, and that he had acted as their 'sperm donor', allowing them to have a baby together.
Giving evidence, Ms Tillman described her uncle as 'a bit of a hoarder'.
She said he kept 'lots of animals', describing a 'stench' as coming from his flat.
Ms Tillman said that Gordon once told her that Ms McInerney had 'hit him with a frying pan on the head', leaving him needing hospital treatment.
But she seemed a 'nice woman', she added, describing Gordon as 'like a giant teddy bear'.
At that point Gordon - who was in the dock, having been absent on Wednesday - began crying and wiped tears from his eyes.
A large bruise was clearly visible on the top of his head.
The jury heard how he was known as 'Mr Parcel' at his block of flats because he used to collect deliveries when people were out.
He told neighbour Taylor Johnson that he and Ms McInerney had 'not long had a baby' and she was 'pregnant with another' after getting her eggs frozen, the court heard.
The prosecution allege that Gordon's 'web of lies' began to unravel in December 2025 after a council official contacted benefits staff to raise concerns about her welfare, leading to a safeguarding investigation.
It led police to Gordon, who jurors have heard has a previous conviction for fraud.
When officers arrived at his flat in January this year, he told them: 'She's in the freezer.'
Gordon has admitted offences relating to the concealment of Ms McInerney’s body and fraudulent financial activity after her death.
He denies charges of murder and causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.
The trial continues.