The ex-wife of Sion Jenkins, told how she became hysterical after being presented with evidence which reinforced her fears that he had murdered their foster daughter.

The Old Bailey heard that Lois Jenkins beat her fists into her bed after police gave her information linking him with the killing of Billie-Jo Jenkins.

The 13-year-old was bludgeoned to death with a metal tent peg as she painted patio doors at the family home in Lower Park Road, Hastings, on February 15, 1997.

Mrs Jenkins, giving evidence for a second day yesterday via video link from a secret location, said she first suspected Jenkins was the murderer three or four days after the tragedy.

She said her concerns stemmed from the way he acted at a press conference at Hastings Police Station three days after Billie-Jo's death.

She told the jury she confided her fears to a friend, who also said she had suspicions about his possible guilt.

Under cross-examination, defence counsel Christopher Sallon, QC, read out a statement Mrs Jenkins made on July 23, 2003: "Three or four days following the murder it began to dawn on me that Sion may have been responsible.

It may have been because of the way Sion handled the press conference.

"Following this I have been completely paranoid about my thoughts and the implications such thoughts wuld have for the girls and me."

Mrs Jenkins, who has remarried and now lives in Tasmania, told of her reaction after being presented with scientific evidence apparently linking 47-yearold Jenkins with the murder.

On day five of the retrial yesterday, Mrs Jenkins said: "I went quite hysterical. I remembered banging my fists on the bed."

Mrs Jenkins added she became aware of the "enormous implications" for herself and their four natural daughters if it emerged former deputy headteacher Jenkins had killed Billie-Jo.

She explained how she became paranoid about her thoughts as she tried to suppress fears he may have murdered her, saying it was "too enormous and too awful to contemplate".

Mr Sallon put it to Mrs Jenkins that detectives had spent two hours convincing her of his guilt after presenting her with scientific evidence.

Asked whether she was anxious to do what she coul to protect the girls, trained nurse Mrs Jenkins said: "I was anxious about what was right at the time."

Earlier Mrs Jenkins said the family had planned a move from Lower Park Road following a series of alarming incidents. The family had been the victims of odd phone calls, attempted breakins and attacks on their cars.

Mrs Jenkins said: "We had ongoing problems with prowlers and we had one burglary.

I think possibly there were two occasions when the back door was damaged when we thought it was an attempted burglary."

Billie-Jo, a former pupil at Helenswood School, The Ridge, St Leonards, had also complained of a flasher in nearby Alexandra Park.

In one chilling answer message left at the house a woman's voice said "he will come again to be our judge".

In January 1997, a month before Billie-Jo's murder, Mrs Jenkins had told police there had been a week of problems with their side gate being opened. Within days she bought security lights, window and gate locks.

The defence claim Billie-Jo was killed by an intruder but the Crown says Jenkins murdered her in a fit of rage.

Jenkins denies murder. The case continues.