DAY ONE - 15:06
Jury sworn in
The jurors have been sworn in and Nigel Power QC has started outlining the prosecutions case.​
15:21
The prosecution case is that he strangled her to death
Opening the case for the prosecution, Nigel Power QC told the jury at Chester Crown Court that two police officers saw the defendant on Adlington Road in Wilmslow at around 1.31am on Friday, September 29, 2017.
He told the officers he was walking home and pointed to Bletcheley Park Way which was not where he lived, the court heard.
At 2.10am the same day officers saw the defendant again, this time on Moor Lane in Wilmslow. This time they were concerned about him and took him home, the QC told the court.
On the second occasion the officers saw the defendant wasnt wearing shoes, the court heard.
The prosecutor continued that at about 3.45am the police received a 999 call and then went to Poynton Lake where they discovered the body of Leanne McKie, the defendants wife.
Although in shallow water, she had not drowned.
The prosecution case is that he strangled her to death, the QC told the jurors.
Insp McKie used his wifes Mini Countryman to dump her body just before police had stopped him, the court is told.
15:26
Defendant 'looked stressed in the three weeks before the death'
The jurors hear that both Darren and Leanne McKie were police officers.
The defendant was an inspector with GMP but his line manager noted he had looked stressed in the three weeks before the death, the Mr Power told the court.
Insp McKie was spoken to by his line manager on September 25, 2017, about his concerns and the defendant said he was worried about an assessment he was due to take and asked for an early finish some day that week, the jurors were told.
Leane McKie was a detective constable working in the Serious Sexual Offences Unit of GMP, working 16 hours per week over two days, the court was told.
She was the only daughter of Raymond and Eileen Dodd and was very close to her parents, Mr Power told the jury.
he met the defendant through work and they married in 2004, the jurors were told.
Initially they lived in Hale but moved to a house at The Circuit in Wilmslow, the prosecutor told the court.
In about 2012 she told her mum that that the defendant owed £20,000 on a credit card which she hadnt known about, but they stayed together and were generally happy, Mr Power told the jurors.
15:30
Couple had money troubles
The couple had recently moved from rented accommodation to another home on Burford Close in Wilmslow, the jury is told.
The couple were thought to be happy although there were money troubles the court heard.
DC McKie is said to have attended a party on September 23, 2017, the jurors are told she told a friend there: Darren has told me to stop spending money and not to buy anything else next month.
Another friend had reported Leanne was in high spirits and was postive about her latest house move, Mr Power QC told the court.
The jurors are told the friend, Helen Baglin, said: Darren and Leanne appeared to have a brilliant relationship, and came across as a perfect united family... they were a lovely genuine couple who seemed to have an amazing relationship.
The jury was told another friend, Sarah James, said of the couple: It seemed to me that they had the perfect family.
15:40
"They were living well beyond their means and were under considerable financial pressure"
The jurors are told a financial analyst looked into the McKie familys finances.
Mr McKie had worked for the police since 1996 while his wife had worked there since 2001.
Their joint monthly income was £3,933 although their finances were not straightforward, Mr Power QC told the jury.
The couple had two joint current accounts, five savings accounts, four credit cards, three active loans and six finance agreements as well as a mortgage for the house they had recently moved into, the court was told.
In short they were living well beyond their means and were under considerable financial pressure, and although that could not be described as a new position the intensity was something that you may say was considerable, according to the QC.
The family had been accruing expensive credit card debt, the prosecutor told the jurors.
15:58
Couple had £103,000 worth of debts
The QC told the jury:
"Now families often run into debt together because of extravagant spending. Often the husband and wife are in it together, and together they work their way out of it."
The couple had amassed debt totalling £103,000, not including their mortgage, and some 26 loan applications had been made for them, many of them declined, the jurors were told.
The jurors were told about text messages the couple exchanged about one loan application.
Leanne McKie is said to have questioned her husband about whether he was telling her the truth and also texted:
Are we in a mess??? Please tell me!
In another text she is said to have written:
I just worry you are trying to protect us again. Please dont ever do that.
Insp McKie is said to have replied:
There is nothing to worry about X
16:03
"Are we in such a mess? Why again? The kids need clothes and shoes whats going on"
On one loan application for £54,000 from Fluent Finance, the court was told Insp McKie had to send the couples passports as well as proof of earnings including DC McKies P60 and payslips he had obtained from his work computer on September 18, 2017.
Leanne McKie, after the passports used in the application were returned, sent a text to her husband saying:
You liar! Just got back a loan application with my passport and my name. Wtf.
The detective is then said to have searched for Fluent Money on the internet before sending her husband a second text which read:
I asked you and you promised. Fluent finance? Who are they? Are we in such a mess? Why again? The kids need clothes and shoes whats going on
16:09
Defendant went behind wife's back to make loan applications
The exchange of texts about the Fluent Finance application had shown the game was up for Insp McKie, the prosecutor told the court.
The QC said:
"Not only was there financial trouble but the defendant was going behind his wifes back making applications in her name and accessing the police computer."
The defendant had used subterfuge by obtaining information for the application, the court heard.​
16:28
Defendant sent text to wife at a time when she was thought to be dead
Insp McKie sent a text message to his wifes mobile at 3.31pm - a time when she was thought to be dead, Mr Power told the court.
The text asked you ok? and ended love you, the court heard.
The defendant sent a second text to the dead Mrs McKie at 9.20pm, according to the prosecutor.
The court is told it started hi hun and asked you ok?.
16:39
Jury sent home for day
The jury has now been sent home for the day.
They will return in the morning when the prosecution is expected to complete its opening statement.
We will have live updates from day two of the trial on Tuesday morning.
https://www.manchestereveningnews.c...-news/darren-mckie-murder-wife-trial-14368526