An Independent Maldon district councillor accused of breaching a restraining order has told Chelmsford Crown Court he "wasn't there".

Councillor Chrisy Morris, who represents Heybridge West, is alleged to have gone to a woman's address in Witham on 5 January 2020 and smashed her and her partner's car windscreens, despite a restraining order instructing him to stay away from her.

The woman's partner identified a man walking away from the address as Councillor Morris.

He is also accused of going to the same woman's address on 22 July 2019, the day after she moved home, despite being banned from doing so by a non-molestation order.

Councillor Morris, 47, denies both counts.

He admits to being present in the road during the first incident on 22 July 2019, but says he was trying to find a terminally-ill friend's house, adding he did not know the woman had moved there the day before.

He denies being present at all during the second incident, which is alleged to have taken place at around 10pm, claiming he was with friends at the Mill House Hotel on Maldon Road in Langford the entire time.

He told Chelmsford Crown Court today (Wednesday, 26 January) he "wasn't there", adding: "I was always at the Mill House."

He was living at the hotel at the time.

Heybridge parish council chairman Richard Perry, who runs the Mill House, told the court he was with Councillor Morris the entire time while Christmas decorations were being taken down at the hotel.

He said: "I can assure the jury - absolutely 100 per cent - I put up with Councillor Morris all night, he was there all night."

When asked about CCTV at the hotel by prosecutor Sarah Taylor, Independent Councillor Perry said it "wouldn't do well for anyone because there are black spots".

He said he later refused to give a statement to a police officer, who he claimed phoned up "like a man possessed", because "his attitude stank".

He added: "I didn't really want to talk to him, to be honest with you."

But Ms Taylor said: "He recalls that you refused to speak to him. What you did say to him was that your CCTV was broken - the only detail you provided."

She added: "You were asked about CCTV on three occasions - you gave three different answers."

She said he had been asked by Councillor Morris to "help provide an alibi", which Councillor Perry called "absolutely ridiculous".

Ms Taylor also asked Councillor Perry if he had refused to speak to the police because he was "worried about lying" in his statement, which he denied.

He said he has had a "general upgrade" of his CCTV at the hotel since that time.

Carey Martin, Councillor Perry's partner who works at the hotel, also said Councillor Morris had been at the Mill House at the time of the alleged incident.

But Ms Taylor said she had "avoided" speaking to the police "because you didn't want to give a false account to a police officer, or you hadn't had a chance to speak to Mr Morris", which Miss Martin denied.

Ms Taylor told Councillor Morris that he had known the woman's partner for around 20 years, saying they "know each other well and he recognised you - he's 100 per cent certain he recognised you".

In her closing speech, Ms Taylor told the jury: "You can't believe the evidence you have heard."

She said the orders had been "made to protect" the woman from the conduct of Councillor Morris.

She said "he chose to ignore them", adding: "He remembers when it suits him."

The trial continues.