Husband 'made mistress request'

Andre Genestin is accused of murdering his 38-year-old wife

A man accused of crushing his wife's skull and hiding her body in a car roof top box wanted his mistress to move in with them, Lewes Crown Court was told.

Andre Genestin, 48, who denies murder, was having an affair with a woman he met through the internet, jurors heard.

Catherine Genestin, 38, also known as Katya, discovered the affair after sifting through her husband's computer files, the court was told.

Her decomposed remains were found in the storage box in Brighton last June.

The court heard she was allegedly murdered by her husband in May last year with a heavy blunt object which crushed her skull as she sat on their lounge sofa.

The prosecution claim Genestin, an unemployed French national, stored her corpse in and around the family home before dumping it in the car roof storage box in the back garden of their home.

Giving evidence, Irina Rosenbrand, a friend of Mrs Genestin, said: "Katya complained about Andre having an affair with a woman from the Ukraine."

Andre asked Katya whether this woman could come and live with them Irina Rosenbrand

She said that months before the alleged murder last May, Mrs Genestin found emails and correspondence on his computer.

Ms Rosenbrand said: "She spoke to Andre about the affair and he owned up to everything but he didn't want to give this woman up. He wanted all three of them to live together.

"Andre asked Katya whether this woman could come and live with them in the same house in Brighton. Katya definitely didn't want that."

Ms Rosenbrand said she became so concerned in mid-June for the welfare of the Genestins' daughter, who cannot be named for legal reasons, that she invited her to stay with her.

She said the girl received a text message that month which said: "I will be back in a week. I love you. Mummy."

Ms Rosenbrand said she also received an email claiming to be from Mrs Genestin.

Letter to consulate

Jurors heard the email claimed Mrs Genestin was with another man, urged her friend not to phone, and was signed Katy instead of Katya.

The two Russian women met by chance when they lived in Reading, Berkshire, but kept in touch after the Genestins moved to Maresfield Road, Brighton.

On Tuesday, jurors heard that unemployed French national Mr Genestin had told social services his wife was in Italy with a man she met online when her disappearance was being investigated.

The prosecution told the court Mr Genestin had been writing to the British Consulate in Kiev stating he would be sponsoring a woman called Tatyana to come to the UK.

Jurors also heard claims that Mr Genestin had produced false documents claiming Tatyana had secured a place on an English language course.

The case continues.