Escort past of axe killer

Jan Charlton has admitted killing her partner

A friend of a former escort girl who killed her boyfriend with an axe has told a court how the couple became lovers.

The witness, known as Mrs E, told a jury at Leeds Crown Court that Jan Charlton thought 40-year-old Danny O'Brien had "beautiful, blue, twinkly eyes".

Charlton, 36, has admitted killing Mr O'Brien, but denies murder.

Charlton says she acted in self defence after Mr O'Brien threatened her and her four-year-old daughter Amy.

Danny O'Brien's body was found bound and gagged

Mr O'Brien was hit more than 20 times with a large axe in May 2001 - he was found in the bedroom of the house he shared with Charlton in Midgley, West Yorkshire.

Mrs E described how Charlton had met Mr O'Brien in September 2000.

She said: "She thought he had beautiful blue, twinkly eyes, that he was very intelligent and appeared to have fallen instantaneously in love with him and him with her.

"She said that Danny had said he wanted to marry her - that he wanted them to be a family."

Mrs E said Charlton had told her he wanted her to get rid of all her friends in the Huddersfield area where she worked as an escort and start afresh with him.

Mrs E said he "did not let her leave his side".

Charlton's escort work began after she began going to nightclubs to meet men following the breakdown of her marriage in 1998.

Mrs E said she was worried her friend did not fully realise that men would want more than just someone to accompany them for a meal.

The witness said there were three men Charlton was sleeping with.

Mrs E said: " As far as i was aware there were three, but all were preceded by weeks of phone calls and chatting to them. It was not a case of just jumping in to bed."

The case continues.