Murder accused watched friend in Coronation Street on tragic night
A cheating husband told a murder trial that he and his wife watched his actor friend make his debut in Coronation Street on the night of her death.
Alan Evans said he and wife Louise cuddled on the sofa before watching the TV soap because his 'mate' Marc Baylis was in it.
Mr Baylis, who was brought up in Worcestershire, joined the cast as Rob Donovan, the brother of Carla Connor, on July 9 last year.
Evans told the court the pair were trying to rebuild their marriage after his wife found out he was having an affair with Amanda Chadwick, a teaching assistant at the Kidderminster school attended by their three children.
He spoke of being 'heartbroken' when he found Louise dead at the bottom of the stairs at their home in Stoney Lane, Kidderminster, later that night.
Evans, aged 35, denies murdering his 32-year-old wife at their home in the early hours of the following day.
It is alleged that he pushed her down the stairs and then smothered her, leaving a skipping rope near the body to make it look accidental.
Evans, who had earlier told the court that he and Louise had 'the perfect little family', said they watched the soap for about 10 minutes and then fast-forwarded it.
Louise then gave him the TV magazine she had been reading.
"I flicked through to see if my mate Marc Baylis was in it," added Evans at Worcester Crown Court.
After they watched television while their daughters had gone to bed, he fell asleep on the sofa, the court heard.
When he woke up, he said he went outside for a cigarette, returned to watch TV again and then went into the hallway, where he saw his wife at the bottom of the stairs.
He broke down as he said: "The top half of her body was on the stairs. I got hold of her and tried to wake her up.
"I was talking to her – I think I was rubbing her arms. I said 'come on Bab, wake up'. It was all shock. She was cold."
Mr Evans said he locked his daughters' bedroom so they did not see their mother and cried as he ran to neighbours for help.
"I was heartbroken," he said. "I didn't want to believe Louise was dead."
Evans said that, after locking the children's bedroom door, he had kicked a vacuum cleaner out of the way at the top of the stairs.
He added that he had never been violent towards his wife, saying he 'never lifted a finger' against her.
We were the perfect family, says accused - See today's Express & Star
