HAYLEY MURDER TRIAL: IN the days between the assault on Hayley Richards and her death the couple continued to argue.

Hugo Quintas told Bristol Crown Court that on Tuesday June 7 the pair had met unexpectedly and he had apologised to Miss Richards for the attack. He said: "I told her what took place on Sunday didn't need to happen, so I said sorry and she said sorry and we were friends again."

But later that day they exchanged text messages, with Quintas telling Miss Richards he would tell his family he was not the father of the baby because she had said she would only send photographs of the child to Portugal.

Quintas later visited Miss Richards' flat and told the court she had begun to be romantic and the couple had sex. He said afterwards, however, the atmosphere between them soured.

"She said she'd called the police and said they were after me. I thought she meant she was going to call the police and say I'd raped her," he said. "I was lost for words. She said sorry and said she wouldn't go ahead with complaint but I told her to leave me alone."

Quintas returned to his own home and said he was "furious".

The following evening, Wednesday June 8, Miss Richards sent Quintas a text message saying she would take the baby out to Portugal to visit his family. He told her that he loved her and she replied she loved him too but that he had hurt her so she only wanted him to be there for the baby.

On Thursday the couple met again and Quintas said they had got along well. The court heard that on the next night, Friday June 10, Quintas had gone to Miss Richards' flat to tell her he would be leaving the next day. He bought his flight ticket earlier that day because he did not have a driving licence or insurance and had been stopped twice in his car by police and was scared he would be sent to jail.

He decided to lie about the reason he was going to Portugal and told Miss Richards he was leaving because his grandmother was ill.

Quintas said on hearing this she became agitated. He claimed it was this initial argument that ultimately led to her death.