A SEX-SWAP teenager murdered his lover when the older man would not fund sex change treatment and an operation, a jury heard yesterday.

Karen Lawson, 19, who had changed his name from Mark Lawson by deed poll, told police how he suffocated and strangled his 43-year-old partner with a pair of tights.

Then Lawson, originally from Teesdale in County Durham, wrapped the body in a duvet and left it in their flat, in Beechcroft, Prestwich, Manchester. When found three weeks later, the body was so badly decomposed a pathologist could not establish the cause of death, Manchester Crown Court was told.

Prosecutor John Rowe said the killing probably occurred on the night of March 20/21 last year. A few days later, Lawson returned to the North-East.

Arrested three days after the body was found, Lawson, of Stainton Grove, Barnard Castle, confessed to the crime, claiming he had been provoked by 43-year-old Michael Cutler, formerly from Hartlepool.

He alleged Mr Cutler was violent towards him, and would not agree to him having sex change treatment or pay for it.

Payments set up for the operation were cancelled by his partner, who had said he felt it would ruin their relationship.

Lawson said he was punched by Mr Cutler, but he got the older man on the bed and used a pillow to try to suffocate him before strangling him with a pair of women's tights.

Mr Rowe said Lawson claimed the bedroom row brought back unhappy memories of mistreatment by his stepfather when he was considering a sex change.

The court heard the two men had met in the North-East. Mr Cutler had lived for many years at Turnbull Street, Harlepool.

In 1999, the men moved to Manchester after a visit to the Albany Clinic, Prestwich.

Treatment was arranged at £288 a month for a year, but no payments were made.

Lawson, a former pupil of Teesdale Comprehensive School, Barnard Castle, denies murdering Mr Cutler between March 15 and April 9, 2000.

The trial continues