A blood-stained father accused of murdering a Bradford woman walked several miles to Leeds Bradford Airport after smothering her, a jury heard.

And when police were called to the airport after Stephen Tillett was asked to leave, the officer saw no reason to arrest him, and gave him a lift back to Eccleshill.

But when he was finally arrested, Tillet confessed in police cells to the killing of mother of two Janine Dolecki, 40, of Bradford Moor.

At Leeds Crown Court, the jury heard how Stephen Tillett, 31, of Welhan Walk, Wapping, Bradford, had "exploded" after having a row with friend Mrs Dolecki.

He denies murdering his victim, but has pleaded guilty to manslaughter by provocation.

The prosecution allege that Tillett used the pillow to smother Mrs Dolecki of Granton Street on January 31 last year.

Police discovered her body in her bedroom on February 4. Police officer John Vinnicombe of Bradford Central said that Tillett had confessed to the crime.

Mr Vinnicombe who was working in the cell area on February 6 and was keeping an eye on him, said the defendant knew he was under caution.

"The defendant said to me, 'I don't know how long is life, 25 years. I've choked a woman to death.'"

Tillett said he had been staying with Mrs Dolecki and had just exploded. Tillett told the officer:

"I've got a seven-year-old son what am I going to do. She did it, she bit me. I'm admitting killing her, I just want to get it sorted."

On the day of Mrs Dolecki's death the jury heard how a blood stained Tillett had walked several miles from Thornbury roundabout to Leeds/Bradford Airport.

He was seen at the airport and appeared scruffy and had splodges of blood on his tracksuit bottoms, cuts on his hand and was caked in mud.

Tillet said he was waiting for his girlfriend but he was told there were no more flights arriving in Bradford that evening and was asked to leave the airport. He was later found washing his hands and face in the toilets and the police were called.

But an officer saw no reason to arrest him after he said he had cut his hand on barbed wire and gave him a lift back to Eccleshill.

Police were later called to Mrs Dolecki's house by worried Gina Battersby and Pauline Mawson after they had not seen her for some time.

On the day of Mrs Dolecki's death her neighbour Marcia Lindo said she had been woken up by a raised voice.

She told the court: "I heard Mrs Dolecki say 'what have you done' and oh no'." She added that she heard a man groaning and a noise which resembled furniture moving.

The jury heard that Mrs Dolecki had been friends with Tillett - a single man with a young son - for three years.

They had previously lived in the same street. The relationship was said to have been platonic.

Pathologist John Clarke said today the probable cause of was by suffocation. He said Mrs Dolecki suffered cuts and bruises to her neck, face and chest but these were not related to her death.

The case continues.

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