A MAN accused of murdering his girlfriend by pushing her from a multi-storey car park broke down in tears as he took to the stand yesterday.

Teresa Parkin, 29, originally from Colburn, North Yorkshire, died after falling 80ft from the car park in Torquay, Devon, on June 10.

Shaun Foley, 45, claims she committed suicide after becoming depressed about access to her son.

Mr Foley broke down in tears several times as he took to the stand to give evidence in his own defence at Exeter Crown Court, yesterday. He wept as he told the jury how he turned and saw Ms Parkin seconds before she plunged over the railings on the ninth floor.

Mr Foley told the court he could do nothing to save her and had no explanation as to why she fell.

The pair, who had been in a relationship for six years, had spent the afternoon drinking in several pubs, until Ms Parkin became upset about not seeing her ten-year-old son, who was staying in Yorkshire.

After leaving the pub separately, Ms Parkin and Mr Foley met up again in the car park, where they were captured on CCTV arguing.

When asked about the argument, Mr Foley said the only thing he could remember was Ms Parkin scratching him in the face and “having a go at me”.

He said CCTV images of him hitting Ms Parkin in the face during the argument were inexcusable, but not something he had ever done before.

Mr Foley told the court Ms Parkin had said something to him that he did not hear, but before he could reply he turned and saw her fall over the railings.

Earlier, the defendant told the jury Ms Parkin had been upset after her son said he did not want to come back to Torquay from Yorkshire.

He said the problem was made worse by a call from the boy’s father on June 9 in which he asked for the £25 a week family allowance to be signed over to him. “She was beside herself. She was hysterical,”

he said. “She thought he wasn’t coming back.”

The trial continues.