A MAN who is accused of stabbing his girlfriend to death and burying her under a cellar floor had a history of violence against his partners, a court heard.

Frederick Lawlor, 54, is charged with murdering Dorothy Carre, 56, in 1999 by repeatedly stabbing her in the front bedroom of their house in Rochdale before burying her in a shallow grave in the cellar where she lay undiscovered for eight years.

Lawlor denies the murder of Mrs Carre, who is originally from Bacup, between March 10 and June 30 1999.

Manchester Crown Court heard details of a remarkably similar attack on former girlfriend Nora Roche which took place in 1987, as well as physical abuse on another partner in 1981. Both attacks led to convictions.

In November 1987 he was sentenced to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm for the attack on Miss Roche.

In a written statement to the court read out by Neil Flewitt QC, prosecuting, the victim told how she was taking a bath while Lawlor was "fiddling around" with an electric fire in the living room.

He told her he was going planning to shorten the fire's flex, before he plugged it into a socket in the kitchen next to the bathroom and placed the live end into the bath with Miss Roche.

She described feeling "tingly" and blacking out, before he removed the flex and began punching her in the face.

As Miss Roche screamed for him to get help, Lawlor picked up a knife and stabbed her repeatedly in the body. Her injuries were so severe she needed five operations and had to wear a colostomy bag for five months due to lacerations to her bowels.

In 1981 Lawlor was convicted of actual bodily harm for an attack on another partner, who police requested should not be named.

In another written statement read by Mr Flewitt, she described how Lawlor had asked for sex while she was seven months pregnant with their child.

Feeling "heavy with the baby", she attempted to put him off by suggesting they have sex the following day.

She said Lawlor "just went really quiet" and then started punching her repeatedly in the face. She fell backwards into a bath and Lawlor began jumping on her stomach before punching her in the face again.