The accused, identified as George Gordon, 65, is charged with killing his friend Delia McInerney in April 2023.
Her dismembered body was discovered in Gordon’s flat in St Helens in January this year, alongside the bodies of her five guinea pigs, the BBC reported.
Gordon, who did not appear in the dock at Liverpool Crown Court, has admitted killing McInerney but claimed he acted in self-defence.
The trial heard that the pair had been friends for many years. McInerney, who was 62 at the time of her death, had lived with Gordon at his flat in Gerards Court when she was not travelling abroad or staying at her own home in Anfield, Liverpool, the BBC reported.
Prosecutor Martin Reid KC told the jury that McInerney’s body was discovered in a chest freezer at Gordon’s flat on January 8, according to British media reports.
He said her friends had not seen her for some time, but Gordon had allegedly lied to them about her whereabouts for more than 18 months. He also reportedly impersonated McInerney in emails and phone messages.
The case came to light after a series of alleged financial fraud and impersonation activities began to unravel.