DAVID Ryan’s wife told a court she questioned the amounts of cash her husband was spending in the months leading up to the death of a Cranage woman.

Ryan, of Byrom Street, Hale, is accused of murdering Diana Lee in her Cranage home on August 9, 2012.

Karen Ryan, 50, told Chester Crown Court on Wednesday, July 10, that the couple had lived a ‘hand to mouth’ existence after suffering money troubles and seeing their home repossessed.

Earlier in the trial his defence team told the jury that Ryan had been siphoning off money and storing it in a ‘pot’, while prosecutors claimed the money was in fact being supplied by Ms Lee.

But from late 2011, Mrs Ryan, who works as a credit controller, said she noticed that her husband had more cash – despite being out of work.

She told the court that she presumed her husband was starting up businesses and generating cash that way.

“I got an iPhone which I didn’t expect and which I didn’t think he could afford as well as an Apple computer,” she said.

“I was told they were business investments. I did ask later about where the money was coming from when it was being spent in the £1,000s and I was told not to worry about it and enjoy it.”

The court then heard how Mr Ryan was made bankrupt in June 2012 and his wife told the jury it was a ‘good thing’ for him as it would leave him without the debt.

But the spending continued until later that summer with trips to London and purchases of cameras and clothing.

She was asked by Gordon Cole QC, defending, if it ever bothered her where the amounts of money came from and she said ‘yes’.

Mr Cole highlighted one purchase where Mr Ryan paid £2,400 for bedding from House of Fraser.

“I wasn’t comfortable with that purchase because I didn’t know where the cash had come from so I questioned him – I thought we were just window shopping,” she said.

She reiterated that she wasn’t aware that her husband had a pot of money and there was never any cash around the house.

“He was very conscious of looking after me in every aspect of my life,” she added.

“I did like the fact that he organised a lot of things and in some ways I needed someone to do that as it let me concentrate on my career.”

David Ryan denies murdering Diana Lee.

The trial continues.