A woman accused of killing her partner in a drunken fight in Canterbury has walked free from court today.

The case against Julie Baron, 45, sensationally collapsed in the middle of the prosecution case – and the judge ordered a not guilty verdict be recorded.

Julie had always denied the manslaughter of her partner John McDaid, 43, after the bust-up in their motor home which had been parked in New Dover Road.

Philip Bennets QC, prosecuting, told a jury at Canterbury Crown Court one of the key witnesses had revealed in the witness box Julie had raised the issue of self defence shortly after the death.

He said: "In his evidence, the witness described a fight which Julie had told him she had with John in the camper van and he said the defendant said to him that she had struck out and John had fallen and hit his head. He used the words ‘self-defence’."

The prosecutor said that evidence was not consistent with the witness statement to police, but it had now undermined the prosecution case.

It had been claimed Julie had told her sister: "We had a fight... I got so angry with him, I picked him up and chucked him out of the door.

"I can’t bear the thought that I have killed him. I just thought he was being a drama queen. I left him there and went to the pub."

Julie, who now lives in Reading, Berkshire, was also alleged to have said that she returned from a pub and found him lying on the floor.

John McDaid's body was found in the park and ride site at New Dover Road, Canterbury

It was alleged that she said: "Got him inside the van and put him to bed. He was making weird noises like a walrus then the noise stopped. I tried to talk to him and he didn’t reply.

"I prised his eyes open and he looked like a cod fish."

A post mortem showed John had suffered a skull fracture consistent with a backwards fall, the jury heard.

Later, Julie went to the Old Gate Inn where she downed four or five double vodka and Pepsis – where she was seen sporting a black eye.