Stab accused 'unreliable' witness

Maxine Williams denies stabbing Bernard Evans during a row

A woman accused of murdering her mother's partner was "horrendously unreliable" in her accounts of what happened, a court has heard.

Maxine Williams, 22, from Pembrey, west Wales, denies murdering Bernard Evans, 42, at his Ammanford home in January.

Psychiatrist Dr Gaynor Jones, who saw Ms Williams while she was on remand, told Swansea Crown Court the defendant was suffering from depression.

Ms Williams decided not to give evidence on her own behalf.

The court heard Dr Jones had been told by Ms Williams through interviews and statements, that she had given her a very detailed account of the killing and had rejected any idea she had killed Mr Evans, instead blaming her mother Julie Williams.

Ms Williams had told Dr Jones her mother had been "evil" and claimed she had caused her mental suffering as a child. She also claimed her mother broke her arms and legs by "chucking me about when I was a child".

In later interviews Williams claimed that she witnessed her mother stab Mr Evans and was then told by her "you are going to have to take the blame".

The court heard that Ms Williams had a history of drug and alcohol abuse which Dr Jones said had masked a depressive illness.

"I would say that she moves between mild to severe (depression) passing through moderate on the way up and down," she said.

Under cross-examination, Dr Jones agreed Ms Williams was a "horrendously unreliable historian" and was unable to accept much of what she told her.

The trial was adjourned until Thursday.