JURORS in the murder trial of Whitehaven man Paul Irwin have heard the 999 call he made following his on-off partner's fatal collapse.

The 50-year-old defendant repeatedly shouted the first name of Tiffany Render as the call-handler explained the CPR resuscitation technique.

Irwin, of George Street, Whitehaven, denies murdering 34-year-old Miss Render and a sexual assault. The prosecution says she died while trapped in a “violent” and “controlling” relationship with Irwin.

On Friday, March 22, the court heard, Miss Render suffered “massive” internal bleeding, with a pathologist concluding she sustained “blunt force trauma.”

Irwin claims her death was the “accidental” result of consensual sexual activity which “went wrong.” On day four of the trial, the prosecution legal team played the defendant’s 999 call, made at 11.40pm on March 22.

“She’s bleeding heavily,” he told the call handler. He went on: "I just woke up and she’s dead.” He said they had been having sex but Miss Render was now not breathing.

He shouted out her name four times in the space of a few minutes. When asked if he had attempted CPR life support, he said he did not know how to do it. This prompted the call-handled to explain what he should do.

Irwin was told to move Miss Render to the floor so that CPR could be attempted and he appeared to be complying. But he was also heard saying: "She’s gone... Come on Tiffany – no, she’s dead.”

During the 999 call, he shouted Miss Render's name at least ten times.

In earlier evidence, the court heard a statement from Irwin’s sister Amanda, who described him as “lovely.” She said: “You could not meet a nicer lad.

"He’d do anything for anyone.”

She confirmed Irwin suffered mental health conditions, including personality disorder and schizophrenia. Before being remanded in custody for assaulting Miss Render and released with an alcohol tag, they were a “nightmare” when drinking, she said.

“He would say silly things,” she said.

On March 22, shortly before midnight, Irwin called her to say he had just woken up and found Tiffany dead in bed beside him. She did not believe him, she said. But she and her partner went to the George Street flat to check.

They arrived to find him on the phone to the ambulance service.

Another witness who knows Irwin said: “He’s a great lad when he is off drink and drugs but he can be horrible when he drinks in terms of what he says but I have never known him to be physically nasty.”

An ambulance technician who was sent to the George Street flat where Miss Render died agreed with prosecutor Iain Simkin KC that there was blood “all over the property.”

Describing Irwin, at that point sitting in the living room, the witness said: “He appeared blank; he didn’t appear upset or emotional.”

Cross-examining the witness, Peter Glenser KC, defending, said: “You describe him [Irwin] as looking like a rabbit in the headlights, with no emotion. You said he had a shocked expression; he appeared to be in shock, almost in disbelief.”

“Yes, absolutely,” replied the witness.

The trial continues.