THE mother of Georgina Symonds knew her daughter was threatening to blackmail her lover, businessman Peter Morgan, Newport Crown Court was told this morning.

Morgan, aged 54, of Llanellen Court Farm, Llanellen, has denied murdering Miss Symonds on January 12 this year.

Deborah Symonds was asked by defence counsel Patrick Harrington QC if she knew her daughter wanted to blackmail Morgan over his using "call girls" behind her back.

Mrs Symonds replied: "That is what she told me."

Mrs Symonds told the court that Georgina had a photo on her phone as evidence of Morgan's use of call girls.

"She said she was doing this because she was grieving (over her former partner, who had killed himself) and he (Morgan) did not seem to care.

"So she was doing things to make him upset."

"That is what she said she was doing it for. She was trying to hurt him."

"She wanted him to have a bit of pain."

Mrs Symonds also told the court that an arrangement made some time earlier whereby Morgan paid Miss Symonds £10,000 a month, made her and her former partner happy as it meant they had a good lifestyle.

Mrs Symonds also said her daughter told her she knew that developments Morgan had been involved with did not meet building regulations.

Morgan is charged with the murder of Miss Symonds, and has pleaded not guilty.

Mrs Symonds, further cross-examined by Mr Harrington, said that when she became aware that Morgan was involved with her daughter, she was not concerned.

She agreed that in a police statement, She had said Morgan was a "lovely man" and very good for Miss Symonds.

She told the judge, Justice Neil Garnham, that Morgan was a mature man who offered Miss Symonds a "calmer, better atmosphere" than that provided by her former partner, the father of her child.

Miss Symonds' best friend Alexy Butcher told the court how she had gone to Pencoed Castle Bungalow, where Miss Symonds had been living, on the afternoon of January 12, after hearing that she had not picked her daughter up from school.
The two women had agreed to meet after Miss Symonds had done this, an arrangement made during a telephone conversation shortly before 9.50am that morning.
Miss Butcher told the court she was "surprised and worried" as her friend would never miss picking up her daughter. On arriving, she had phoned Morgan and he seemed worried.
He arrived 40 minutes later and they searched the property. he later told Miss Butcher that Miss Symonds had threatened to hang herself from a tree in a nearby field, and that he had found her in the bathroom bleeding after trying to cut herself.
Miss Butcher reported her friend missing to the police at 8.14pm that evening, later learning that she was dead.
Cross examined by defence counsel Patrick Harrington QC, Miss Butcher agreed she told police she believed Morgan was "smitten" with Miss Symonds.
He had wanted a future with her - "George, however, was only with him for the money," said Miss Butcher in her statement.
"I don't think she ever cared for him."
Even though Miss Symonds had left her former partner - her daughter's father - for Morgan, Miss Butcher agreed she had told police: "It was always her intention to take (Morgan) for as much as she could and then go back to (her former partner).

Miss Butcher said Miss Symonds had been "vile" toward Morgan after her former partner died.

She had blamed him for that death, and called him names, swore at him, and "belittled" him.

"I stuck up for him sometimes because he just took it," said Miss Butcher.

"He said "I lover her." He just took it."

"He never reacted. He just went on providing for her so I felt bad for him."

She agreed when asked by Mr Harrington if Miss Symonds' real target at the time had been to get as much as she could out of Morgan.

Miss Butcher agreed that the bungalow had become a priority for Miss Symonds.

She told the court that this had been the case before Miss Symonds' former partner died, but was more so afterwards.

Thomas Ballinger, a friend of one of Miss Symonds' brothers, who grew close to her after her former partner's death, told the court that he had been at the bungalow on New Year's Day 2016, and Georgina had declared "I love a dead man."

He said members of Miss Symonds' family had been there too, and one of her brothers had said he had split up with his girlfriend as he could not be with someone he did not want to be with.

"George (Georgina) said "tell me about it,"" said Mr Ballinger, who added that Peter Morgan was present too and the comment was aimed at him.

Mr Ballinger said Morgan had been "reactionless" and that had not felt right, given what Miss Symonds had said.

He told the court: "Inside I cringed. I didn't see there was any need for it, and also no need for her to remain with him. She didn't like him."

Under cross-examination from Mr Harrington, Mr Ballinger said he could not remember the details of the phone call between Miss Symonds and him late on Sunday January 10.

The prosecution contends that Morgan was listening in to their conversation on a listening device, and heard Miss Symonds tell Mr Ballinger that as soon as Morgan signed the bunglaow over ot her, she would leave him and resume her work as an escort.

Two days later, Morgan killed her. He admits doing so, but denies murder.

Mr Ballinger said he could remember Miss Symonds having talked about the bungalow before, but was unsure if that had been during this phone call.

Proceeding.