A BANKRUPT business man who is accused of killing a Cranage cattery owner he was having an affair with, had another lover, a court heard.

David Ryan, 47, of Byrom Street, Hale is accused of bludgeoning 54-year-old Diana Lee to death, mutilating her body and then setting four fires at her home in Cranage in an attempt to destroy the evidence.

At Chester Crown Court on June 14, teacher Jane Tilston told the court that she had a sexual relationship with Ryan, which ended at the beginning of 2011.

Ms Tilston said: “The relationship we had was very casual, I never had any reason to go to his house.”

She told the court that although their sexual relationship ended, they continued to be friends and he would call her around four times a week.

She said the tone of their calls was chatty and light-hearted and that he would usually call her from a pay phone and she never had his phone number. Ms Tilston said in July last year the nature of the phone calls changed and he suddenly began calling her up to 13 times a day.

“At the beginning I felt quite threatened, so much so that in the end I answered them,” said Ms Tilston. She added that she eventually answered and told Ryan to stop contacting her, which he did.

The court also heard from Fiona Eaton, who regularly attended the Cinnamon Club, in Bowdon, where Ryan is said to have met Diana Lee.

Mrs Eaton said she met Ryan at the Cinnamon Club and would see him most times she was there.

Brian Cummings QC, prosecuting, asked if Ryan ever discussed the state of his marriage. Mrs Eaton said: “He always gave the impression it wasn’t particularly very good.”

Mrs Eaton added that Ryan called her on one occasion asking if her husband could help him with his business and she told the defendant not to call her again.

The case continues.