A FENLAND man has gone on trial in Northern Ireland accused of drowning his partner 14 years ago.

William Mawhinney, 51, was arrested by Serious Crime Branch detectives at his home in Highfield Road, March, in January.

He was taken to Antrim Police Station in Northern Ireland and questioned and later charged over the murder of Lorraine Mills, 36, a mother of two who was found dead in her bath in May 1995.

Mawhinney was first arrested soon afterwards the killing but later freed, only to be subsequently re-arrested and charged this year after his eldest daughter- who was six at the time of her mother’s death- claimed she had watched the killing.

The prosecution case was outlined to Belfast Crown Court which also heard that Mawhinney is alleged to have confessed to the murder to his wife Gwen.

He met and married Gwen after moving to England following the death of his former partner and initially told her Ms Mills had died of cancer.

The prosecution alleges that Mawwhinney once boosted “the police were stupid, I got away with it”.

The court will also hear evidence, the prosecution claimed, from Gwen Mawhinney who kept the secret for six years because she was “scared and no one would believe her anyway”.