Murder accused 'shocked' at death

Kirsty Wilson's body was set alight with petrol, the court has heard

A man accused of strangling his partner after he found out that she planned to leave him, has told a court he wanted to scream when told she was dead.

Alan Jermey, 41, told the Old Bailey jury he was "overwhelmed" by shock when the ambulance worker broke the news.

He said his first thoughts were for his children when he was woken by an explosion at the Woking family home in August 2008

He denies murdering 34-year-old Kirsty Wilson and setting fire to the body.

"I think I wanted to cry, I wanted to scream, but I had the two children with me Alan Jermey

The jury previously heard that Ms Wilson, an executive with Mercedes, had been having an affair.

Mr Jermey told the court that when he was woken by an explosion thick smoke stopped him from going downstairs where he had left her watching television.

He then took their two daughters through the bathroom and on to a flat roof and called 999.

"It all happened very fast," he said. "I didn't know what the hell was going on. I was frightened for myself, I was frightened for the sake of the children."

'Surreal experience'

When one of his daughters asked about "mummy", Mr Jermey said she was not in bed so he assumed his partner was downstairs.

"It was all a surreal experience. It was as though I was there but I didn't really know what was happening."

Mr Jermey said an ambulance crew member whispered to him that Ms Wilson had died.

"I think I wanted to cry, I wanted to scream, but I had the two children with me. If I had shown those emotions the children would have picked up those emotions."

The jury was earlier told that Ms Wilson had told Mr Jermey she was leaving him and that their home would be put up for sale.

Ms Wilson had been having an affair with Simon Goddard, her manager at the Basingstoke Mercedes dealership in Hampshire.

The trial continues.