A bloodied footprint found beside the body of murder victim Kathryn Parton matched boots worn by the mother of her alleged killer, a court heard today.
Suzanne Love is accused of helping to clear up evidence after Ms Parton was beaten to death at her home in east Belfast.
The 44-year-old defendant’s son, Jamie Love, has been charged with carrying out the murder on May 9.
As Suzanne Love was refused bail at Belfast Magistrates’ Court, police said she claims to have spoken to the victim while she lay injured but still alive.
Ms Parton’s body was found in the blood-stained bedroom of the house at Madrid Street on May 15.
Post-mortem examinations established that the 34-year-old, known as Kat, died from haemorrhaging, lacerations to the scalp and nasal fractures following a sustained assault to the head which involved no weapons.
Detectives believe she lay undiscovered for six days until her father went to the property amid concerns for wellbeing.
Jamie Love (23), who was in a relationship with Ms Parton and lived at the Madrid Street address, has been charged with her murder based on CCTV and witness evidence.
His mother, from Isoline Street in Belfast, faces counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice and assisting an offender.
A third accused, 22-year-old Reece Oliver of Castleton Gardens in the city, is also charged with assisting an offender.
He drove Suzanne Love to the Madrid Street property to help her son pack up and move out on the night Ms Parton is believed to have been killed, the court heard.
The three defendants were then seen on footage leaving the house again with belongings and a dog.
Jamie Love and Oliver spent the next two nights at B&Bs in Strabane and Portaferry allegedly booked and paid for by Suzanne Love.
She initially claimed Ms Parton had been sitting on the floor, crying but unhurt, while she was at the house.
But a detective told the court two bloodied footprints were discovered on a bedroom duvet bedroom close to the victim’s body.
“It suggests more than one person was present during or after Kathryn had been assaulted,” he said.
“One is of an Ugg boot, which Suzanne has admitted to wearing.”
A print which matched Nike trainers worn by her son was also found at the scene, according to the police case.
Similar footwear subsequently seized from Suzanne Love’s home had been freshly washed and placed outside to dry.
During initial interviews she provided a statement denying any knowledge about the victim’s death and then provided no comment to questions.
However, in a further statement after evidence about the Ugg print and cleaning of footwear was put to her, she described accompanying Oliver to Madrid Street to help her son move out because of a fall-out with Ms Parton.
“She claimed Jamie was in the bedroom on the opposite side of the bed from Kathryn, who was lying injured,” the detective disclosed.
“Suzanne stated she did not think Kathryn was badly injured, but when she spoke to her she could not make out what Kathryn replied.”
At one point she assured a neighbour who knocked on the door that Ms Patron was alright and that she would sort out the noise, the court heard.
“On returning upstairs, neither she nor Reece entered the bedroom, but could see Jamie physically jumping up and down on a TV that was face down on the floor rather than hung on a bracket on the wall adjacent to the neighbour’s house.”
Defence barrister Michael Boyd accepted that a prima facie case has been established against Suzanne Love.
Predicting that any trial will not take place until well into next year, Mr Boyd submitted: “It’s a very serious, tragic and horrendous case, but she should be released (from custody).
Bail was refused, however, based on the risk of further offending.
District Judge George Conner ruled: “I’m afraid I am not persuaded that it’s proper (to release her).”