Edward Tenniswood claimed he only put his hands around the 20-year-old's neck at her direction before she gave an "exhaling gasp" during "vigorous love-making"
A man accused of the rape and murder of a young barmaid has told a court of the moment he placed his hands on her neck while they were having "loving sex".
Edward Tenniswood claimed he only put his hands around India Chipchase's neck at her direction before she gave an "exhaling gasp" during what he described as "vigorous love-making".
He told Birmingham Crown Court that afterwards he cuddled up to the 20-year-old's dead body and initially thought nothing of her unresponsiveness when he woke many hours later.
The 52-year-old is said by the Crown to have "raped and throttled" the young woman after chancing upon her outside the town's NB's nightclub in the early hours of January 30, and taking her in a cab back to his house.
Demonstrating to jurors by placing his hands around his own neck, the former book keeper said: "She puts her hands on top of my hands and moves my hands down to her neck."
Tenniswood said she then moved his hands away, but claimed on a second occasion Ms Chipchase had allowed him to continue and he "applied pressure" for up to ten seconds.
"Her body spasmed and she let out this extraordinary exhale, just like before," he said.
The 52-year-old said afterwards he was "so fatigued" he "effectively blacked out".
"I rolled over and embraced her. I cuddled up to her and just went to sleep," he said.
Tenniswood told the court it was well into the Saturday evening when he got up and - after drinking a glass of cheap red wine and lighting a cigarette - and thought there was "something wrong".
"I just went over and looked at her. It just didn't seem right.
"I just sort of nudged her shoulder."
Despite his concerns, he then got dressed and went through Ms Chipchase's handbag, claiming he was looking for some sign of a pre-existing medical condition which might have put her in a "diabetic coma".
He also told jurors he feared she may have had a "stroke or brain injury" from a drunken fall.
Tenniswood told how he downed another drink of wine and "panic set in".
He added: "I thought, 'what is that going to do?' Is that going to upset me even more or answer any questions?
"I ruled out feeling the pulse, and returned to have another swig of wine."
Tenniswood then explained how he put Ms Chipchase's clutch handbag and boots "neatly" together in another room, and decided to leave the house with the young woman still inside.
He added: "I was completely convinced she was still alive, and in some form of coma."
Tenniswood continued: "I made some decisions; to get some air, get food, and calm down."
He changed the mattress bedding, which had a blood-stain from a wound on Ms Chipchase's head, turned a light on and turned up the volume on the bedroom radio.
Tenniswood said: "I was absolutely convinced she would gain consciousness while I was out."
Earlier, he claimed Ms Chipchase and he had hugged while looking at their reflections in his bedroom mirror "like we were posing for a selfie", and that the young woman had kissed him first.
"It was a very 'India' thing to do."
When police officers broke down Tenniswood's door on the afternoon of Sunday January 31, they found Ms Chipchase dead.
Opening the trial last week, the Crown's QC Christopher Donnellan said: "It is very likely his motive was sexual and when she resisted him he was determined to have sex and he grabbed her around the throat and squeezed.
"He held her until she was unable to resist any more."
Tenniswood denies the charges and the trial continues.