A FORMER escort girl who hacked her wealthy East Lancashire lover to death with an axe was "tipped over the edge" by his extreme behaviour, a court heard.

In his closing speech for the defence, Robert Smith QC, told a jury at Leeds Crown Court how Danny O'Brien "ran up against the wrong woman".

Mr O'Brien lived in Holme Terrace, Townsendfold, Rawtenstall, until three years ago.

Jan Charlton, 36, denies murder but claims lawful self-defence and provocation after he allegedly threatened to kill her and her three-year-old daughter Amy.

Mr O'Brien, 40, was found with an axe embedded in his head at the home they shared in Midgley, West Yorkshire, on May 23 last year. He was blindfolded and gagged, and had been struck at least 20 times.

Mr Smith said the prosecution had struggled for a motive for the killing and at times had been "scraping the barrel". Even enjoyers of sex and prostitutes can be repulsed by being treated by a man like a piece of meat," Mr Smith said.

"The biggest question is not what Janet Charlton did, but why she did it.

"We are going to submit the prosecution are struggling for a motive and I mean struggling."

Mr Smith said Charlton should be found not guilty of any crime because she acted in self-defence.

(Proceeding)