Guardian News

Defendant told second lover his marriage had ended

By Matthew Hobbs

12:30pm Thursday 9th September 2010

MICHAEL Roberts engaged in two long term affairs during his relationship with wife Vicky, who he denies strangling to death.

A second lover Karen Wilson told the court how she was tricked into thinking Roberts had split up with his wife before she was murdered.

Ms Wilson, another work colleague seduced by the defendant, first met Roberts in July 2009.

They exchanged phone numbers and by November were having sex, according to Ms Wilson.

Roberts sent many intimate texts to his mistress, telling her she was ‘the love of his life’ and the ‘most perfect and special girl’.

He also talked of moving to Bangor, North Wales, with Ms Wilson and, after Vicky’s death, police found a napkin in the defendant’s car that had a message on it from Ms Wilson.

It read ‘welcome to Wales’.

By November 28, the evening before his wife’s alleged murder, Roberts had told his lover that he had ended things with Vicky.

Ms Wilson said: “I thought that Vicky was living at home with her parents and he was living on his own.”

On November 30 the two went shopping in Chester.

“He would laugh and joke but then be a bit quiet,” she said.

According to Ms Wilson, Roberts had his wedding ring in his pocket.

“I thought it was strange he was carrying his wedding ring around even though they were separated.”

The court heard how the lies continued the next day.

“He pretended to get a text from Vicky that said she had left him. He said he had to break the news to her parents.”

By December 4, Roberts was on the run.

“He told me the police had found Vicky’s body but that he didn’t do it.”

Ms Wilson maintains he spoke about Vicky regularly and that he was never rough with her.

The trial continues.

• Email this page