A RETIRED engineer who handed more than £156,000 to a woman he met through an escort agency told a court yesterday he wanted her to be his companion.

Percy Young said he gave Vivianne Windley £6,000 as a gift because he thought it was a way of starting that relationship. It was an idea which had been evolving since they first met.

But Mr Young told the jury at Teesside Crown Court that he had not fallen in love with her, although he said he wanted to be associated with her and wanted her to be a companion.

Mr Young is a helper at the Darlington Railway Museum, who is involved with the Darlington Model Railway Club.

He agreed with Ms Windley's counsel, Mio Sylvester, that he had shown her his stamp collection and locomotive plaques on the wall of the railway museum which he owned and which he valued at about £25,000.

He also said he had given Ms Windley a gipsy caravan which he had made, along with chocolates and flowers for her birthday.

Mr Sylvester suggested that Mr Young was trying to impress Ms Windley with his wealth, which he denied.

Ms Windley is alleged to have taken the money from Mr Young, 68, telling him she would set up an escort agency and tarot card reading business and use some of the money to buy the house she was living in.

Ms Windley, 44, of Beaumont Terrace, Westerhope, Newcastle, denies four offences of obtaining a money transfer by deception.

Mr Young said he had transferred £70,000 into Ms Windley's account to allow her to buy the house she was living in. He said the deeds of the house were to be transferred to him.

Mr Sylvester said Ms Windley's case was that there was a discussion about the money being offered but there was never any agreement that it was to buy the house or for the deeds to be transferred to Mr Young.

The case continues.