A man killed a woman and hid her body in a freezer for almost three years while he took out credit cards and loans in her name, a jury has been told.

George Gordon, 65, is accused of murdering his friend Delia McInerney in April 2023, days before she was due to move to Portugal for a "new life".

Her dismembered body was found in Gordon's flat in St Helens along with her five dead guinea pigs in January this year.

Gordon, who did not appear in the dock at Liverpool Crown Court, has admitted killing Delia but claims it was self defence and denies her murder.

The trial heard the pair had been friends for many years and Delia, who was 62 at the time of her death, had lived with him at his flat in Gerards Court when she was not travelling abroad or staying at her house in Anfield, Liverpool.

Her body was found by police in a chest freezer at Gordon's flat on 8 January, Martin Reid KC, prosecuting, told the jury.

He said her friends had not seen her for some time, but Gordon had lied to them for more than 18 months about her whereabouts and pretended to be her on email and phone messages.

Outlining the prosecution case, Reid said Delia had died at Gordon's hands in April 2023 and then Gordon had obtained thousands of pounds from her bank accounts and obtained credit cards in her name while her body lay in the freezer in his flat.

The trial heard Gordon admits killing Delia, but initially told police he had hit her with a hammer to "end her suffering" after she had taken an overdose.

He now claims he acted in self-defence, Reid said.

The prosecutor said in April 2023 Delia had been due to move to Portugal with her guinea pigs and after hearing of her plans to relocate, Gordon bought items, including a sledgehammer and a handsaw, which were "consistent with those that would later be used, or required, to kill and dismember Ms McInerney".

He also collected prescriptions for medications later found in her system, Reid said.

On 11 April, Gordon took a video of Delia with her pet guinea pigs which was to be the last footage in which she was seen alive.

Gordon, who was known as Chris to Delia, is accused of murdering his friend on the evening of 11 April or in the early hours of 12 April.

Later on 12 April, more than £2,000 was sent from Delia's bank accounts to Gordon, the jury was told.

The trial heard Gordon then went to The Sefton Pub for breakfast, accompanied by a pint of Strongbow and a double whisky, before ordering a chest freezer from Amazon.

Reid said Gordon, who travelled to Portugal on 24 April and visited the property Delia owned there, posed as her in messages to her friends and neighbours.

He told the court Gordon's "web of lies" began to unravel in December 2025 after a request was made to the Department of Work and Pensions by someone called Chris Cavendish-Gordon, who claimed to be a social worker, asking for Delia's personal independence payment (PIP) to be transferred to a different account.

The jury was told after telephone inquiries and financial checks, Gordon was arrested at his flat on 8 January and as he was escorted out told officers "she's in there" and added "she's in the freezer".

Gordon denies murder and causing unnecessary suffering to animals.

The trial, which is expected to last six weeks, continues.