MURDER suspect Robert Lund returned to the lakeside scene of his wife's death in handcuffs as French jurors attempted to re-live her final moments.

Lund stood at the exact spot where four years ago he gave Lancashire Telegraph journalists his own theory as to how his wife Evelyn's body ended up submerged in Lake Bancalie, close to the tranquil southern village where she lived.

The amazing visit came on the second day of the trial, with the 12 jurors being driven to the secluded location - about 25 minutes drive from the court house in Albi.

The spectacle began with a shackled Lund, who is accused of pushing his wife's Toyota Landcruiser into the lake to cover up her death, being driven around a hair pin bend and down to the lakeside.

When the jury arrived on foot, he was allowed out of the blue Renault Megane police car, flanked by three gendarmes.

Evelyn's body was found on the back seat of her 4x4 in October 2001, two years after she had disappeared following a row with her husband.

Lund, 55, has always denied killing her, saying she accidentally drove into the lake after taking a wrong turn, but faces a maximum 20-year jail sentence if convicted of unpremeditated murder.

Evelyn, a 52-year-old mother of three, formerly of Winter Hill, Darwen, met the ex-Blackburn Council tree protection officer shortly after the death of her first husband, Burnley building society manager Arthur Taylor in 1991.

Lund moved from his home in Anyon Street, Darwen, to live with her before they married and moved to southern France to start a new life together.

The trial moved to the lake so that experts could put across their theories as to how the Toyota Landcruiser went into the water.

Police expert witness Robert Assam said he believed the car had been pushed into the lake backwards, with Evelyn, who was born in Rawtenstall and whose parents still live in Rossendale, inside.

He said that because Mrs Lund's 4x4 was not in gear when it entered the lake, it was unlikely to have happened by accident.

Evelyn's route down the dirt track to the lake was also analysed. Mr Aslam said most drivers would need to make two manoeuvres to get around the hairpin bend, meaning she could not have driven down there by accident.