A YOUNG MOTHER, BLASTED IN THE HEAD BY A ‘HIT MAN’

A YOUNG MOTHER, BLASTED IN THE HEAD BY A ‘HIT MAN’,

SAID ON THRUSDAY THAT EVEN WHEN SHE RECOVERED CONSCIOUSNESS IN

HOSPITAL SHE WAS STILL TERRIFIED HER JEALOUS HUSBAND WOULD TRY TO

‘FINISH ME OFF.

‘

.

DARK HAIRED JULIE HARPER-TAYLOR, 29, A WEALTHY PROPERTY

DEVELOPER, SAID SHE WAS HIT IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD BY THE BLAST FROM

A SAWN OFF SHOT GUN.

AND SHE RECOGNISED THE ASSASSIN AS THE BEST

FRIEND OF HER 36 YEAR OLD HUSBAND, ALLEN.

HARPER-TAYLOR, COMPANY DIRECTOR, OF BRECKNOCK ROAD,

ISLINGTON, AND LESLIE BAKKER, 35, OF CROSSFIELD ROAD, CLACTON ON

SEA, ESSEX, BOTH DENY ATTEMPTING TO MURDER HER ON JULY 5 LAST YEAR

MOTHER OF THREE MRS HARPER TAYLOR TOLD THE JURY THAT FOR

TWO WEEKS AFTER BEING GUNNED DOWN IN A BUSY CITY OF LONDON STREET SHE

DRIFTED IN AND OUT OF CONSCIOUSNESS

THEN, FULLY AWARE OF WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO HER, CAME THE

FEELING OF TERROR.

‘I DIDN’T KNOW WHO I COULD TRUST AT THAT TIME, NOT EVEN THE

NURSES,’ SHE TOLD THE JURY.

‘I WAS TOLD THAT MY HUSBAND HAD BEEN

ARRESTED AND I KNEW THAT IF HE WAS RELEASED I WAS NOT IN A FIT STATE

TO DEFEND MYSELF OR THE CHILDREN.

‘

SHE THEN HIT ON A PLAN TO CONFUSE HER HUSBAND.

SHE TOLD

POLICE IT WAS HE WHO HAD SHOT HER

‘I DELIBERATELY TOLD THAT LIE SO THAT IF IT GOT BACK TO

ALLEN HE WOULD KNOW THAT IT WAS NOT TRUE AND THEREFORE HE WOULD NOT

TRY TO FINISH ME OFF,’ SHE SAID

ASKED ABOUT THE BREAK UP OF THEIR ‘STORMY AND TEMPESTUOUS’

MARRIAGE, SHE SAID THEY HAD TERRIBLE ROWS BECAUSE HE COMPLAINED HE

WAS NOT GETTING PROPER ACCESS TO THE CHILDREN.

ON ONE OCCASION WHEN SHE VISITED ALLEN, WHO HAD MOVED OUT

THEIR NORTH HILL, HIGHGATE, HOME SHE BECAME ILL AFTER DRINKING SOME

TEA HE HAD MADE HER.

‘HE TRIED TO POISON ME,’ SHE SAID, BUT AGREED WITH DEFENCE

BARRISTER, MRS MARGARET PAXTON, QC, THAT BLOOD AND URINE TESTS TAKEN

AFTERWARDS PROVED NEGATIVE.

SHE AGREED THAT SHE AND HER HUSBAND HAD ‘ENJOYED ALL THE

COMFORTS OF LIFE’ WHEN THEY WERE TOGETHER.

THEY HAD A

BEAUTIFUL HOUSE, A PART-TIME GARDENER AND A LIVE-IN NANNY TO LOOK

AFTER THE CHILDREN.

BUT ALLEN WAS ALWAYS SUSPICIOUS AND WAS OBSESSED WITH THE

IDEA THAT SHE WAS HAVING SECRET AFFAIRS.

HE ONCE TOLD HER: ‘GO OUT

AND SLEEP WITH SOMEONE AND GET OFF MY BACK.

‘

EVENTUALLY SHE DID TAKE A LOVER.

BUT HER AFFAIR WITH A

MAN CALLED NICK WAS VERY BRIEF – IT LASTED JUST TWO NIGHTS.

‘I HAVE NEVER BEEN UNFAITHFUL TO HIM BEFORE OR SINCE,’ SAID

MRS HARPER TAYLOR

THE TRIAL CONTINUES.

ENDS