"I"m guilty of caring too much": Accused denies involvement in Samantha Kelly"s murder

Prosecutors allege they and Arthur plotted the death so Ms Lyons could take over custody of Ms Kelly"s children.

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Lawyers for Ms Lyons, 47, and Mr Lyons, 45, say Arthur acted alone in killing Ms Kelly and later lied that his housemates were involved.

In the interview with police, Ms Lyons said she didn"t see Ms Kelly the day after they sat in the lounge together, as Arthur told her Ms Kelly was unwell and resting in the bungalow.

Ms Lyons told police that either late on January 22 or in the early hours of January 23 that Arthur came in from the bungalow and said he had "done something really stupid".

"I was told Peter put a pillow on her face and she fought him off and she was going to to go to the police. That"s all I know," Ms Lyons told the detectives. She cried when one of the officers told her Arthur had admitted killing Ms Kelly.

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Ms Lyons told police Arthur had said Ms Kelly"s children were now safe from their mother.

She said Arthur had not let her inside the bungalow and told her "it"s better that you don"t know nothing" when she asked where Ms Kelly was.

In the following days, the court heard, the trio began telling people – including Ms Kelly"s children and Mr Lyons" three sons – that the woman had "upped and left". "I was just told what to say by Peter," Ms Lyons said.

She denied claiming Ms Kelly"s children as her own after the woman"s disappearance.

"No, I never tried to do that at all. Never. They"re her kids not [mine]," she said.

When told she would be charged with being an accessory to murder, Ms Lyons said she was not guilty.

"The only thing I am guilty of is caring too much," she said.

Mr Lyons was initially charged with the same offence, until their charges were upgraded to murder.

Mr Lyons admitted to police he helped Arthur move Ms Kelly"s body from the bungalow to a car, but denied any involvement in her death.

"What he"s done with her after that I don"t know and I don"t really want to know," he said in an interview played to the jury on Wednesday.

The trial continues.

Adam Cooper

Adam Cooper joined The Age in 2011 after a decade with AAP, the country"s news service. Email or tweet Adam with your news tips.

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