Woodford’s dismembered body was found in May’s flat in Pontypridd but her head was missing.
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Jurors were also shown CCTV of Ms Woodford’s movements throughout the town that day – including footage of her walking with May before midnight with her wearing the defendant’s coat.
The jury was told it would hear “harrowing and distressing circumstances around her death” which may cause “feelings of anger and revulsion”.
‘After her death she was mutilated and dismembered. Those actions were carried out deliberately and methodically with the clear intention of concealing what had happened’.
Members of Ms Woodford’s family were at Cardiff Crown Court yesterday as 60 potential jurors were called before Mrs Justice Nicola Davies.
“Why would a man behave in this way with a woman’s head?”
“There was flirting taking place between Tracey Woodford and Christopher May”, Mr Thomas said.
“This was the last time any saw her alive apart from May”.
The court heard May used to be a butcher and that a colleague had described him as “very good” at using boning knives, removing ligaments and spinal columns.
The court was told that Ms Woodford was a “slim, petite” single woman who lived with her mother and brother.
She was last seen by her family when she went into the local town centre in Pontypridd to pick up a ring she had placed a deposit on.
At about 7.45pm, Ms Woodford then headed to the Skinny Dog pub and struck up a conversation with May and two of his friends. She later drank at several pubs in Pontypridd and was seen falling off a chair twice in another pub and was helped by a customer there, the court heard.
Prosecutor Roger Thomas said May began flirting with an intoxicated Ms Woodford while at the Skinny Dog pub in Pontypridd.
The trial was told the 47 year old was strangled and her body was cut up in a “brutal and deliberate” attack which was “sexually motivated” on the night of Tuesday April 21st.
The jury was told 50-year-old May admits he was responsible for Miss Woodford’s death but denies his actions amounted to murder.
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‘He says he was acting in self-defence or that it was an accident or that he lost his self-control.
