The daughter of a murdered shopkeeper broke down while giving evidence at the trial of her stepfather and his second wife.

Carol Morgan, 36, was struck in the head with an axe or a machete at her corner shop 43 years ago in what turned into a long-running cold case.

Her husband Allen, 73, and his second wife Margaret, now 75, of Stanstead Crescent, Woodingdean, Brighton, deny conspiracy to murder.

Carol's daughter Jane Scales - who was 12 at the time - said she was unable to recall details of the night of her mother's murder beyond her 1981 witness statement.

Speaking remotely from Brighton, Mrs Scales told the court she had an "excellent" relationship with Margaret, who later became her stepmother.

Clare Wade KC, defending Margaret Morgan, asked Mrs Scales: "You saw her as a family friend, is that right?"

Mrs Scales responded: "That's right."

Ms Wade said: "You did things like baking, when she was looking after you... your relationship with her as a stepmum has been a good one, hasn't it?"

Mrs Scales said: "It's been excellent, yes."

After the murder Jane and her brother Dean, then 14, carried on living with their stepfather and his mistress Margaret moved in weeks later.

Allen Morgan and Margaret married the following year and the family moved to Brighton.

Ms Wade said: "In fact, when your own daughter was being born, [Margaret] was incredibly supportive wasn't she? She was there in the delivery room when you had a difficult labour?"

At this point, Mrs Scales broke down in tears and the court was adjourned for a short recess.

When the hearing resumed, Ms Wade asked: "After you eventually went back to work when your maternity leave ended, it was Margaret who looked after your baby?"

Mrs Scales agreed Mrs Morgan had "shared care" of her daughter and looked after her after school.

She added Mrs Morgan also had an "excellent" relationship with the girl.

The court heard evidence from retired Detective Inspector Michael Laws, who described how he was summoned from his home at 5am to attend the crime scene.

Mr Laws said the investigation was based at Leighton Buzzard police station and was headed by Detective Chief Superintendent Brian Prickett.

Second in command was Detective Superintendent Selwyn Davis, followed by four detective inspectors including Mr Laws. He said he believed a team of 30 to 40 police officers in total were assigned to the case.

He said the investigation was one of the first by Bedfordshire Police to use the computerised "homes system" to store evidence and witness statements.

The prosecutor previously told the court that the killing took place in the store room of the shop in Lindslade, Bedfordshire, and several blows were inflicted.

Allen Morgan returned home and told the police he had been shocked by the discovery, saying he had played no part in what happened.

He said £400 cash had been taken from a desk, £35 from the till, along with 1,400 cigarettes, which were missing.

But the prosecutor said: “Carol had never been left alone without the children or her husband before.

“Allen had never taken the children out without her and it is suggested it is no coincidence that Allen Morgan chose that night to take the children out without their mother.

“Of all the nights a random burglar might come to steal, it was not just a coincidence that he chose the one and only night Carol Morgan had been left alone in the premises.”

It was alleged he took the children to the cinema to leave the coast clear for the killer Allen Mogan knew would strike that night.

One witness, who is now dead, said Carol had told her the children had not wanted to go to the cinema and that Allen had not asked Carol to join them.

“Given the widely-known fact of his affair, it suited his purpose to have a cast-iron alibi”, said Pavlos Panayi KC, prosecuting.

The family’s dog normally had the run of the premises but on the night of the killing he had been shut in one of the bedrooms of the couple’s flat above the shop, the jury was told.

The trial at Luton Crown Court continues.