GORDON Park is expected to be scrutinised in the witness box for two days next week as he gives evidence in the Lady in the Lake' murder trial.

Park, 60, of Norland Avenue, Barrow, is set to be the first witness as the defence case gets under way following more than five weeks' of prosecution evidence.

The retired teacher is accused of bludgeoning his 31-year-old wife Carol to death with a climbing axe in 1976 before wrapping her body in bin bags and dumping her in Coniston Water. Park denies murder and told police his wife disappeared while he took their three children on a trip to Blackpool.

The court has heard in recent weeks from Carol's former lover, David Brearley, and friends who claimed the couple had a volatile relationship and both had extra marital affairs.

Park also revealed in police interview in 1997 that he and his wife had indulged in a wife-swapping incident.

Yesterday (Thursday), Mr Brearley, of Redcar, took the stand again and said how their relationship soured in 1975 after she became "severely depressed" when Park won custody of the children.

He said: "I knew it was finally finished when she left and there was no further contact with her because it was decided, it was the end of the nightmare. It's like waiting for the inevitable dreadful thing, like the visit to the dentists. Once it was over with, it was just a blessed relief."

Mr Brearley faced cross examination from defence barrister Andrew Edis QC who put it to him that Mrs Park had left him on three occasions after she came to live with him in the North East. She left twice to return to the Parks' home at Leece, near Barrow, and on another occasion without explanation - an act which resulted in a missing persons file being lodged with the police in 1975.

Mr Edis was keen to shake off any suggestion that Park incriminated himself by not reporting his wife missing in 1976 until six weeks after she disappeared. He told police he assumed it was because she had left him - something she had done before to Park and also to Mr Brearley.

Yet Mr Brearley said he had not filed a missing persons report and Mrs Park had only left twice to return home.

Cleveland social worker Yvonne Quinn was also called as a witness to answer questions over an interview with her client Glen Banks who has learning difficulties. Banks was a cell mate of Park's in 1997 and told the trial before Christmas that Park confessed saying: "I killed my missus."

Mr Edis suggested Mrs Quinn had encouraged Mr Banks to tell police what they wanted to hear in an interview by complementing him as he told officers about the alleged confession. Mrs Quinn replied: "I'm giving him encouragement to do what he wants to do. If he was telling me he didn't want to say the information I would be saying the same thing well done and you're doing really well'."

The trial continues today (Friday). The defence should then start its case midweek and it is expected to take just over a week to hear from its 12 witnesses.