A BEREAVED woman told a jury she knew a text claiming to be from her partner on the night he was killed was in reality from the ex-partner accused of his murder.

Juliet Adcock told a jury she knew the message was from ex-partner Mark Chilman, not her new partner Neil Parkinson because she recognised the defendant's 'appalling' grammar and spelling.

Mark Chilman denies murdering Mr Parkinson, a father-of-two, whose body was found in his burnt out car in Cotheridge, near Worcester. Mr Parkinson had left Giltedge Farm in Broadwas, the home of Ms Adcock, and told her he was on his way back to his own home in Clifton-upon-Teme.

The 52-year-old's trial began at Worcester Crown Court on Monday following the death of Mr Parkinson, 66, who had been struck on the back of the head before he died, a blow which fractured the base of his skull and would have rendered him unconscious.

The prosecution case is that Chilman then staged it to look like Mr Parkinson had committed suicide, setting fire to him in his BMW in a lay-by in Ankerdine Road, Cotheridge on December 12 last year.

Today (Tuesday) both Juliet Adcock and her daughter, Holly Bradshaw, gave evidence behind a screen.

At 10.17pm on the evening of Mr Parkinson's death Ms Adcock received a text from 'Neil' but believed, because of spelling mistakes and grammatical errors, that it came from Chilman.

It read: "Juliet its (sic) Neil on one of my other phones. I've got a confession to tell you. I lead a double life. I use and abuse woman (sic). It goes like this. I've been taking women of (sic) there (sic) partners and husband's (sic) for a very long time and I get such a buss (sic) from it.

"I'm currently seeing 3 woman (sic) as well as you. I'm still seeing Sue from time to time. The very first time we met I new (sic) I was going to break you and Mark up. Its (sic) challenge for me and I get off on it.

"It took me quiet (sic) a time but I done it (sic) like I done it (sic) to Sue and he was good friend. I nearly got caught a few times by him but I got off on that. I've got a problem. Its a medical problem called satyriasis."

The text adds: "I'm sorry I've been so deceptive but that's what I do."

At one stage the text author writes: "I think you should go back to him (Mark). I now (sic) you still have a lot of feelings for him."

Ms Adcock said in the witness box when examined by prosecutor Mark Heywood QC that there was 'loads' in the text message which matched Chilman's way of speaking.

"The general spelling and grammar is appalling for a start" she said.

The message also referred to Mr Parkinson's mother as 'a burden' but Ms Adcock said Mr Parkinson had 'thought the world of his mother'. There was the phrase 'get off on it' in the text.

She also said words like 'sucker' were 'typical' of Chilman's use of language, not Mr Parkinson's.

Ms Adcock said: "That's just a term that somebody like Neil would not use. He was a gentleman."

The trial continues.