A former butcher strangled a woman to death and had sex with her dead body before cutting her up into pieces, a court has heard

A former butcher strangled a woman to death and had sex with her dead body before cutting her up into pieces, a court has heard.

Cardiff Crown Court heard Tracey Woodford, 47, was killed by 50-year-old Christopher Nigel May just hours after meeting him in a local pub.

Jurors were told two detectives carrying out routine enquiries into her disappearance at May's flat in Pontypridd, south Wales, were stunned when a shower curtain was pulled back revealing two human arms and legs in a bath.

Prosecutor Roger Thomas said the 47-year-old's severed head was later retrieved from a ledge deep inside an underground tunnel.

DNA tests later revealed the defendant's semen was found inside the deceased's mutilated body.

Mr Thomas said: "It is impossible for scientists to say when the defendant ejaculated whether Ms Woodford was either dead or alive.

"But we submit it's extremely likely, if not almost certain, that occurred when she was dead.

"The marks of violence on the deceased are consistent with a struggle which resulted in death.

"That attack was caused by a thwarted sexual advance."

May, of Andrews Court, Pontypridd, denies murder and on his arrest claimed he had killed Ms Woodford in "self-defence" and then cut up her body in a "drunken panic", the court heard.

Jurors heard that Ms Woodford met her alleged murderer in the Skinny Dog pub in Pontypridd on April 22.

Barmaid Rebecca Williams told the court that pub regular May was drinking with two friends before Ms Woodford joined their table.

She said she had refused to serve Ms Woodford any more alcohol as she was too drunk and described her as "fragile" looking.

She said the group were in high spirits with May being teased about Ms Woodford becoming his girlfriend.

Previously, the defendant and deceased were described as flirting with one another in the pub.

Ms Williams said the two left the pub together after closing time - with Ms Woodford wearing May's coat.

However, the following day Ms Woodford's family contacted the police after she failed to return home and calls to her mobile went unanswered.

Police Sergeant Stuart Williams said enquiries lead him and constable Craig Gardener to May's home.

Sergeant Williams described May's flat as smelling of "gone off meat" and the defendant appeared uneasy before the gruesome discovery of Ms Woodford's body parts was found in the shower.

Upon arrest, May told officers the rest of Ms Woodford's body was in a kitchen cupboard and in a storm drain.

Prosecuting counsel Mr Thomas said following the defendant's admission, police searched the tunnel and found it perched on a ledge.

He said: "One does have to consider what this involved, the defendant carrying a body part and a human head across Pontypridd into a dark tunnel, walking in for 138 metres.

"Most significantly, he removed the head from whatever it was being contained in.

"What was the purpose of displaying the head in that manner (on a ledge).

"He had ample time to do a number of things with it, at the very least bury it or put it the dense foliage.

"Why would a man behave in this way with a woman's head?

"It is a very strange thing to have done, to put a head in this location."

The defendant was also described as "very good" at cutting up animal carcasses when working at a local butchers 30 years ago.

The prosecution says that after killing ginger-haired Ms Woodford in the early hours of April 23, May then watched online pornography until 6am.

Forensic tests also revealed the defendant's semen in and over the deceased's body and her clothing was ripped and torn suggesting signs of a violent struggle. 

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