A MOTHER accused of the torture and murder of her boyfriend told police during a series of interviews: “Deep in my heart, I did love him.”

Clare Nicholls denied playing any part in the death last year of Andrew Gardner, who had more than 100 injuries on his battered and burnt body.

He was dead when paramedics were called to the home the couple shared with Miss Nicholls’ brother and her former lover.

Miss Nicholls, 28, told police in the last of a series of 18 interviews that she “fell to pieces” when 35-year-old Mr Gardner was pronounced dead.

She claimed she had tried with her brother Simon, 24, to revive him before the emergency crew arrived on the night of March 13 last year.

Asked if she had played any part in the murder of Mr Gardner, Miss Nicholls replied: “God, no. We had our ups and downs, but that was it.”

She added: “I fell to pieces that night. I nearly died myself when I saw him. Deep in my heart, I did love Andrew.

He was the father of my youngest.”

Simon Nicholls said during his interviews that Mr Gardner deliberately banged his head off walls when he got angry at being shouted at by Miss Nicholls.

A post-mortem examination showed that Mr Gardner suffered 21 rib fractures, bleeding on the brain, blood poisoning and possible malnutrition.

A jury at Teesside Crown Court has heard that scalds on his feet were likely to have been caused when boiling water from a kettle was poured over him.

Plastic surgeon, Dr Sarah Pape, said burns on his back were probably caused when Mr Gardner was repeatedly held against a radiator for up to 20 seconds.

Crescent-shaped “branding”

marks were inflicted when a heated cigarette lighter was jabbed into his neck and shoulder, the jury has been told.

The Nicholls, as well as her “on-off” lover, 44-year-old Steven Martin, all of Arthur Street, Chilton, County Durham, deny murder.

The jury of seven men and five women will hear details of Mr Martin’s interviews today, before the defence cases start.

‘Anger over missed appointment’

ANDREW GARDNER died a day after angering his “control freak” girlfriend by failing to keep an appointment which would result in a cut to their state hand-outs.

As part of his claim for incapacity benefit, Mr Gardner had to regularly see a counsellor, his partner’s brother, Simon Nicholls, told police after his arrest.

On March 12 last year, the 35-year-old received a letter saying he had missed an appointment, and the mistake is said to have angered Clare Nicholls.

Mr Nicholls said his sister shouted at Mr Gardner because the cut would impact on the household budget, and that on other occasions she would slap him.

In a later interview, he went on to claim that she told him she had whipped Mr Gardner with a cable, and that he saw her fall onto his side with her knees.

The jury heard yesterday that he told police he had seen Mr Gardner crying after beatings, and asking Miss Nicholls: “Why are you doing this to me?”

He agreed that his sister made the rules for the house and was in charge. He said Mr Gardner “half-deserved”

the punishments he received for being lazy and lying.

In a final interview last July, Mr Nicholls said of his sister: “She has got quite a bad temper.”

Fellow accused Steven Martin described his lover Miss Nicholls as “a control freak” and told detectives: “It is her way, or no way . . .

she will flip.”