Lawyers do all the talking for model on murder charge

Tracey Andrews, a 27-year-old former model charged with stabbing her fiance to death in a quiet country lane before Christmas, met the press yesterday to call for witnesses to come forward. The press conference in Birmingham, her first public appearance since being released on bail, was intended to help prove her innocence.

Police charged Miss Andrews with the killing of 25-year-old Lee Harvey in the roadside attack in Alvechurch, Worcestershire on 1 December. She denies murdering him, saying the attack was a road-rage incident involving a man in another car. Mr Harvey was stabbed 40 times and died from his injuries. Although Miss Andrews was the centre of media attention, it was her lawyers who did the talking, stressing their client would make no comment herself because of the case against her.

Wearing a long black skirt, black jacket and white blouse, Miss Andrews looked straight ahead with her arms folded as her legal adviser, Pat Alexander, made an appeal for more witnesses to come forward.

Ms Alexander said three defence witnesses had made statements backing up her original claims.

She added: "The police initially regarded Miss Andrews as a witness and she made an emotional televised appeal for witnesses. She described how she and her fiance had become involved in a road-rage incident and how they were overtaken and stopped by another car, and she described an assault upon her and her fiance by the passenger in that car."

Ms Alexander said her client was subsequently arrested and charged with murder "on the basis that the police believe there was no other car involved and that she inflicted these horrendous injuries upon her fiance with a knife which has never been found, despite extensive police searching of the area".

In response to information concerning new witnesses which emerged at yesterday's press conference, Detective Superintendent Ian Johnston of West Mercia Police said: "On initial examination it does not appear that the information ... would significantly alter the course of our investigation." He urged anyone who had information to contact police, adding: "It is important that we now have the opportunity to assess more fully the information which emerged [today]." Matthew Brace