THE former personal assistant of an East Lancashire businessman hacked to death with an axe by his partner told the jury she was astonished by stories of his 'depraved, perverse and extraordinary' sex life published after the killing.

Anne Jarrett was giving evidence on the second day of the trial of former escort girl, Jan Charlton, 36, who yesterday admitted killing 40-year-old Danny O'Brien with the axe at their luxury home at The Old Woodyard, Midgley, near Wakefield, West Yorkshire.

Mr O'Brien owned a gas repair and fixture company in the Rossendale Valley and lived in Holme Terrace,Townsendfold, Rawtenstall, until he sold the business to British Gas three years ago.

The jury at Leeds Crown Court was told that Charlton admitted killing Mr O'Brien but claims she was acting in self defence after he threatened both her and her four-year-old daughter.

The divorced businessman was found dead in his blood-splattered bedroom with the axe embedded in his head.

It was later found he had been hit 20 times with the 2ft-long weapon.

Charlton told police she killed Mr O'Brien while the couple were indulging in a sex session involving a variety of sex toys, the jury was told.

Today, Mrs Jarrett said she did not believe newspaper reports about Mr O'Brien's sex life which emerged after his death on May 23, 2001.

Robert Smith QC, defending, said he was 'putting it mildly' when he asked her whether the stories contained 'information that he (Mr O'Brien) indulged in depraved, perverse or extraordinary activities and that his tastes were not confined simply to the opposite sex and that he had interests in all types of people'.

Mr Smith said to Mrs Jarrett: "This was a matter of total astonishment to you was it?"

She replied: "It was totally, yes."

Mother-of-two Mrs Jarrett told the court she had known Mr O'Brien for four-and-a-half years, both as a close friend and also as his personal assistant while he was a director of an electrical repair firm, Care & Repair, based at Normanton, West Yorkshire.

She said the firm had been sold to British Gas in 1991 and the directors had received financial settlements.

Mrs Jarrett said her relationship with Mr O'Brien had never gone beyond friendship.

She was asked about a series of phone conversation she had with Charlton in the days following her ex-boss's death.

She said Charlton said she was also astonished at the newspaper revelations and asked her to help find 'the friend' who had supplied the newspapers with the information.

Charlton denies murder but has admitted, through her barrister, to killing Mr O'Brien.

(Proceeding)