A FORMER escort girl who hacked her East Lancashire businessman boyfriend to death was "inconsolable" with grief in the days following the incident, a court heard .

At one point a police officer suggested that Jan Charlton should take out her frustration on a pillow, but, after punching it three times, she stopped and said: "I can't do that. I'm not like that", Leeds Crown Court was told.

Charlton, 36, has admitted killing Danny O'Brien but denies murdering him, saying that he provoked her and also that she was acting in self defence after he threatened both her and her daughter.

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

The 40-year-old was found in the bloodstained master bedroom of the house he shared with Charlton at Woodside Hall, The Old Woodyard, Midgley, on May 23, 2001.

A large axe was embedded in his head, and he was wearing a gag, blindfold and handcuffs.

PC Melanie Smith, who spoke to Charlton shortly after Mr O'Brien's body was found and in the days following the death, told the jury today that she also visited Charlton at her sister's house to take a witness statement.

PC Smith said: "I told her to picture the pillow as though it had done this terrible thing to Danny.

"She started to swear at the pillow and I said is that all you are going to do?

"She then hit the pillow three times. She was shouting and swearing but there were no tears.

"She said: 'I can't do that. I'm not like that'."

PC Smith added: "She was inconsolable. She began to wail about finding Danny's body. She was wailing, crying, shaking."

The jury was also read details of Charlton's witness statement.

In it she disclosed that Mr O'Brien had a collection of 20 pornographic videos and kept negatives of pictures of his ex-girlfriends.

She also detailed their collection of sex toys.

(Proceeding)