A HELL'S Angel wearing a scream mask accused of a Halloween murder told a court she regretted the death of Robert Wilkie.

Heather Stephenson-Snell, aged 46, is accused of killing Mr Wilkie, aged 43, outside his Holland Street home in the early hours of November 1 after he had confronted her when she banged on a neighbour's door.

Stephenson-Snell had gone to the Radcliffe street with the alleged intention of killing her former lover's new girlfriend Diane Lomax.

But in a struggle outside the house innocent neighbour Robert Wilkie was killed by a shotgun blast to his stomach at point blank range. He died almost immediately.

During Thursday's cross examination at Manchester Crown Court, prosecution barrister Charles Chruszch pointed out that Stephenson-Snell had showed no regret for what she claimed was the accidental death of Mr Wilkie.

She replied: "I do regret it. If I could turn the clock back I would. When I found out I was on a murder charge I panicked."

Psychotherapist Stephenson-Snell is alleged to have arrived in Holland Street wearing a Scream mask and white cloak concealing a sawn-off shotgun.

The prosecution say she had intended to kill Mr Wilkie's next door neighbour - her ex-lover Adrian Sinclair's girlfriend Diane Lomax - but Mr Wilkie got in the way.

She is said to have meticulously planned to kill Ms Lomax, even taking shooting lessons, working out escape routes, devising disguises and researching her intended victim's home.

In her defence, Stephenson-Snell claims she went Holland Street to get her Rottweiler dog Sammy back. She said she was wearing the Scream costume because she was planning going to a Halloween party.

When Ms Lomax refused to speak to Stephenson-Snell, Mr Wilkie came to see what the noise was. He tried to pull off the mask and was shot in the stomach at point-black range.

Stephenson-Snell said the gun went off accidentally during a struggle between her and Mr Wilkie.

Mr Chruszch called Stephenson-Snell's claims that the gun went off during a struggle in which Mr Wilkie punched her several times in the face a "complete lie".

He said: "I suggest you shot Mr Wilkie deliberately. You were in a quite homicidal frame of mind, you had gone there to use that gun.

"You always intended that the gun was going to be discharged and Mr Wilkie just got in the way."

Police stopped Stephenson-Snell as she drove along the M62 towards her home in Crombie Avenue, York, where a blood-stained sheet and a shotgun were found in her car.

She denies murdering Mr Wilkie and the attempted murder of Ms Lomax.

She has also pleaded not guilty to a third charge, an alternative to the indictment of possessing a firearm with the intent to endanger life.

The judge's summing up is expected to begin on Monday.

Proceeding