A 65-year-old man accused of murdering an artist, dismembering her body, and hiding it in a freezer for almost three years told fabricated stories about her whereabouts, a court heard. George Gordon killed Delia McInerney, 62, at his flat in St Helens, Merseyside, in April 2023, days before she was due to start a new life in Portugal. Gordon claims he acted in self-defense after Ms. McInerney attacked him with a knife.
However, the prosecution alleges his actions were premeditated and partly motivated by financial gain. They also claim he killed her guinea pigs and placed their bodies in the freezer. John Lawler, Gordon's cousin and a friend of Ms. McInerney, testified that Gordon presented various "fantasies" about her disappearance, suggesting she had traveled to Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Peru, and Denmark. Gordon also told Lawler that Ms. McInerney had "stolen all my money."
Ms. McInerney was described as an "eccentric" free spirit who enjoyed travel and animals. Around the time COVID-19 lockdowns lifted in 2021, she had planned to go to Australia to meet someone she had met online. Lawler lost contact with her around 2022 and later assumed she was living illegally in Australia. He reconnected with Gordon in 2025 when asked to help clean his flat.
Financial Activity and Deception
In the lead-up to the alleged murder, Gordon purchased a sledgehammer and a cordless handsaw, which the prosecution contends are consistent with the cause of death. He also bought a copy of the surgical reference book "Gray's Anatomy." Following Ms. McInerney's death, Gordon allegedly withdrew thousands of pounds from her bank accounts and fraudulently obtained credit cards and loans in her name. For 18 months, he reportedly posed as Ms. McInerney in phone messages and emails to her friends and family, fabricating stories about her whereabouts.
Gordon's niece, Paula Tillman, testified that her uncle frequently spoke about Ms. McInerney after her alleged murder, expressing that he loved and missed her. He told Tillman that Ms. McInerney had moved to Australia, started a relationship with a woman, and that he had acted as their sperm donor for a baby they conceived. Tillman described her uncle as a "hoarder" who kept many animals and noted a "stench" coming from his flat.
Another neighbor, Taylor Johnson, heard Gordon claim that he and Ms. McInerney had "not long had a baby" and that she was "pregnant with another" after freezing her eggs. The prosecution stated that Gordon's "web of lies" began to unravel in December 2025 when a council official raised concerns about Ms. McInerney's welfare, initiating a safeguarding investigation. This investigation led to the discovery that Gordon, who has a prior fraud conviction, was involved.
When police arrived at his flat in January 2024, Gordon stated, "She's in the freezer." He has admitted to offenses related to the concealment of Ms. McInerney’s body and fraudulent financial activities conducted after her death. Gordon denies charges of murder and causing unnecessary suffering to an animal. The trial is ongoing.