Man 'strangled woman to death with her hair straighteners'

A killer strangled a young woman to death with her hair straighteners after she told him, "only gay men do hair", a court heard.

Lee Nolan, 48, drove around with the body of Katelyn Parker in the boot of his car before he showed another man, who then called police, a jury at Manchester Crown Court was told.

Nolan had tightly wrapped the electrical flex five times around the 24-year-old's neck to strangle her.

Christopher Tehrani QC, prosecuting, said: "He had strangled her with the chord of her hair straighteners after he asked if he could do her hair and she replied, 'only gay men do hair'.

"He then grabbed the chord from her hair straighteners and wrapped it around her neck."

Nolan, a father of four from Bamford Road, Heywood, Greater Manchester, denies murdering Miss Parker between August 12 and August 14 last year.

The court heard he admits killing the victim but will claim he is guilty of manslaughter not murder on the grounds of diminished responsibility due to an "abnormality of mental function".

Miss Parker, from Milnrow, knew Nolan for a number of months due to her friendship with his daughter, Shiane.

She had suffered depression in the past, had a history of learning difficulties and was at risk of self harm.

But Miss Parker's care worker said she was the "happiest she had seen her in months" in the days before her murder.

Nolan was a man who "does not like being called names even if joking and doesn't take criticism", the jury heard.

On August 13 last year he met a man, Gary Charleson, and told him he had a body in the boot of his car, the prosecutor said.

"When Mr Charleson looked in to the boot of the car he saw an arm protruding underneath a duvet in the boot," Mr Tehrani told the jury.

Mr Charleson called police and Nolan went to get a bottle of whisky from a house he had previously visited, while there speaking to Donna Catterall and Melanie Ashton.

Mr Tehrani said in a "random" and "emotional" conversation he told them he had "killed her" and the body was in the boot.

Nolan said he strangled her after asking if he could do her hair and she told him, 'only gay men do hair'.

The next day police spotted Nolan's blue Nissan and he was arrested nearby.

Police officers found the body of Miss Parker wrapped in the duvet in the boot with the electrical cord around her neck.

When police went to her flat they found the hair straighteners without the cord and Nolan's fingerprints on a copy of The Sun newspaper at the property.

Forensic examination found Nolan's DNA inside the left cup of Miss Katelyn's bra and DNA from his saliva was on her right breast.

The trial is expected to last three weeks.