Jealous boyfriend 'strangled pregnant ex-girlfriend to death' when told tax credits would be stopped

A jealous boyfriend strangled the pregnant mother of his children to death with cable ties and dumped her body in a bath.

Victim: Isobel Parker, known to friends as Becky, was found strangled at her home

Matthew Smith wrapped the plastic restraints around his former lover Isobel 'Becky' Parker's neck in a rage shortly discovering his tax credits had been stopped.

Killer: Matthew Smith has admitted strangling his ex-girlfriend

The 23-year-old mum-of-two's "freezing" body was then found in the bathroom by her teenage sister Sarah.

Sarah had earlier received a text from Smith saying: "By the time you get there it will be too late."

Smith denies one count of murder

but admits killing his former partner on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

Tragic: Becky had two children

A jury of eight women and four men heard former restaurant worker Becky, had been in a relationship with Smith, 23, for at least six years.

She had left him for her new man about six months before her death in Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex, on July 17 last year.

Prosecutor John Caudle told the court Smith had taken the break up badly and had even tried to kill himself but had come around and had begun taking each of the children on alternative weekends.

He added just over two weeks before her death, Becky had contacted HMRC to report a change in circumstances within the household and to tell them Smith had moved out.

As a result, it was calculated that Smith had been overpaid by more than£1,500 in tax credits - which needed to be repaid - since he left the family home, just after Christmas in 2014.

Mr. Caudle told the court: "According to Shane Anderson [Becky's new boyfriend], the defendant was always trying to get Becky to go out with him and his family despite her telling him repeatedly that the relationship was over and there was no more him and her.

"In Shane's view, the defendant did not want to see Becky happy and was very jealous."

Horror: The pregnant mum was found at her flat in Essex

Mr. Caudle added: "He [Smith] tightened cable ties to her neck to a degree that they could not be seen and he murdered her.

"Maybe because of jealousy that she was pregnant with a new boyfriend, maybe that combined with she had told HMRC he was no longer around and he no longer had tax credits, we don't know."

He added: "As a result of receiving the phone call [from Becky], HMRC sent a letter to the defendant informing him that his tax credits were ceasing due to a change in circumstances and £1,527.21 would have to be repaid.

"We know he received that letter because when police searched his car, they found that letter.

"This letter was also mentioned in a text sent by Becky around about the time she was killed."

He added on the morning of Becky's death, Smith texted his employer shortly before 8.30am, saying: "Sorry not going to be available for work this afternoon."

Later that afternoon, shortly before 3pm - after Shane had left the flat to go to the pub with his grandfather - a witnesses told police Smith arrived at the block of flats and Becky had told her two children, who were playing outside, "go and give daddy a hug".

Mr. Caudle told the court Smith was there to take his daughter out for the day.

The pair were seen talking "normally" in the parking area before they walked towards the front of Becky's ground floor flat, where the devoted mum was heard to say: "It's good of you to come round and see your kids."

Witnesses later reported hearing raised voices which sounded like an argument.

After that, Smith is known to have left the block of flats with both children and taken them to his home in caravan park, in nearby Woodham Walter.

Smith was captured by police later that night and arrested on suspicion of Becky's murder.

He replied to the officer, saying: "I thought it was for that.

"I hope she's not dead."

Minutes after Smith left the scene, Becky's sister Sarah Parker arrived at the flat to check if Becky wanted to go fishing with her and her boyfriend.

When her knocks at the door went unanswered she climbed in through a kitchen window and was greeted by Becky's dog, Tilley, "acting really, really strange".

After a few minutes, she went upstairs to the bathroom and found her sister lying in the bath.

Miss Parker [Sarah], now 18, was led through her evidence by Mr. Caudle and agreed she was "panicking and screaming".

She added: "She [Becky] was freezing."

The court also heard Miss Parker could not loosen the cable ties around her sister's neck and it took her boyfriend some time to cut them with a kitchen knife.

Mr. Caudle told the court a bag of cable ties were found in Smith's car, alongside some string.

Cops also found notes written to each of his children, stating 'some day I hope you will understand why I did this' and 'Please forgive me'.

The trial, which is expected to last three weeks, continues.