A MURDER trial jury will continue deliberating today (Tuesday, October 30) after it was last night sent home when it failed to reach a verdict.

The panel of seven women and five men spent more than an hour considering the evidence in the three-week case yesterday.

Judge Simon Bourne-Arton, QC, sent them home for the evening, and they will reconvene this morning to carry on.

Graham Gibson, of Kent Avenue, Hartlepool, admits killing his estranged partner, Christine Henderson but denies murder.

Mother-of-three Mrs Henderson, 50, was knifed 12 times a week after she ended their 18-month relationship in the summer.

Gibson, 47, claims he was provoked and has put forward a defence of loss of control. He has admitted a charge of manslaughter.

The gambling addict told the jury at Teesside Crown Court he did not mean to kill Mrs Henderson and “cared about her so much”.

The court heard how the victim went to stay with a friend when she got fed-up with him being aggressive and stealing from her to bet.

In the week between the split and the killing, Gibson bombarded Mrs Henderson with text messages and phone calls, begging her to go back.