A MONMOUTHSHIRE millionaire accused of the murder of his girlfriend told a court this week how she planned to blackmail other men.
Peter David Morgan, who is 54 and from Llanellen Court Farm, Llanellen, is appearing at Newport Crown Court charged with the murder of 25-year-old Georgina Symonds on 12th January.
Property developer Morgan denies murdering former escort Ms Symonds on the grounds of diminished responsibility.
Yesterday (13th December) Morgan gave evidence to the court.
On Monday when questioned by defending QC Patrick Harrington, Morgan spoke about his relationship with Ms Symonds and how she kept images of him as “insurance” after they spoke of her intention to blackmail a number of former clients.
The court heard about a conversation between Morgan and Ms Symonds which took place in November 2015.
Morgan said Ms Symonds planned to demand a payment of £2,000 each month from a former client. Morgan added Ms Symonds “knew a lot of details about him”.
Ms Symonds also told Morgan about a former client of hers who she had “fleeced of his life savings”.
Speaking about the former client, Ms Symonds said his son would “have a shock when he died because there was no money left”.
“He was quite an old guy,” Morgan added. He said the amount was around £70,000.
When cross-examined by prosecuting QC Williams Hughes, Morgan denied setting out to kill Georgina, saying it was only an "option" if he failed to stop Georgina blackmailing him.
He told Mr Hughes: “If I just wanted to kill her I would’ve sneaked down there when no one would know I was down there.”
Mr Hughes said bringing black plastic sheeting, a metal pole, and bailing twine showed Morgan intended on murdering Georgina.
Morgan said: “I did have a plan but it was a very badly thought-out plan. The main aim was to stop her blackmailing me.”
Mr Hughes replied: “The main ultimate aim was to kill her. Nothing less.
“You were put on notice when you heard she was blackmailing other gentlemen. You knew what she was capable of. You knew the type of lady you were dealing with.”
Morgan said: “I knew what she was like but I thought as long as I kept giving her money she would stay with me.
“She did have control. All she had to do was to say sorry and she wouldn’t go through with it and would talk.
“When I realised she wouldn’t cooperate I decided to kill her.”
Earlier in the week the court also heard details about the phone call that Morgan overheard on 10th January, after Morgan installed a listening device in the bungalow.
Morgan said Ms Symonds spoke of plans to “fleece him” when he signed over his bungalow in Llanmartin where she was living.
Morgan said: “I heard her say if she had my money she would be on a yacht in the south of France.
“She said she thought she’d get the bungalow off me in the summer and then she would dump me.
“I heard her say she was going to do me over.”
On hearing the news, Morgan said he felt “numb” and “devastated”.
“I noticed the significance of when she spoke about having pictures as insurance,” he added.
Morgan said he had intended to transfer ownership of the bungalow to Ms Symonds.
The jury earlier heard Morgan describe how he started using escorts in 2011 after visiting a lap dancing bar in Cheltenham.
His wife Helen first discovered he was seeing other women in February 2013.
Morgan said he sent flowers to another escort identified as V1 in court who lived in Usk, and his wife found a telephone number written on a notepad.
She confronted Morgan who confessed about his relationship with her and also with Georgina.
Morgan said: “I confessed to seeing Georgina. She knew nothing about Georgina until that point.”
In August 2014, Morgan said Ms Symonds came to stay with him for a week in his matrimonial home at Beech Hill Farm while his wife and daughters were on holiday.
Over the next few months, Morgan said Georgina wanted to give up working as an escort.
He said: “She said she wanted to give up and if I give her £7,000 a month that would cover what she needed and she would be able to not work.
“I was happy with this arrangement because it made her happy. I think I loved her.”
Morgan told how his relationship with Georgina became more intense and he moved out of his home with his wife in April 2015 - nine months before the killing.
He moved her into a bungalow in the grounds of Pencoed Castle, his 45-bedroomed manor house, during the summer of 2015.
The trial continues.