The co-worker of a murdered man said he had started to move away from the woman charged with his killing.

Katherine Fisher, who worked with Marcus Gibbings, said he had obtained a new apartment and started to move out of the home he shared with Katrina Burgess.

Ms Fisher added that Mr Gibbings had left the office early in the days before his death to “avoid conflict”.

She told the court: “We usually work until 5pm and then overtime as required, but he told me he was going early to deal with personal things at the old apartment.”

Ms Fisher said she knew Mr Gibbings had been in a relationship with Ms Burgess, but that he had removed a picture of her from his desk before his death.

She agreed that the couple were in the process of breaking up.

Ms Fisher added: “Most people don’t move out if they are not.”

She also told the court Mr Gibbings had mentioned a new woman in the weeks before his death — although he did not mention that his new romantic interest was married.

Ms Fisher said: “We had discussed our holiday plans because we couldn’t both be off the island at the same time.

“He discussed with me his plans on going with her and her children to Disney Land for Christmas and asked if that would work for me.”

Ms Fisher added that Mr Gibbings seemed to be happy about the new relationship.

She said: “He had changed for a while. He was usually a happy-go-lucky guy.

“When he started talking about her, the happy-go-lucky guy came back.”

Ms Fisher said that on October 25, 2006, they were supposed to test a video conferencing system for a client, but he had cancelled at the last minute.

She said that he did not turn up for work the next day.

Mr Gibbings, 32, was found dead later that day at the home in Derwent Lane, Devonshire, he had shared with Ms Burgess.

Ms Burgess, Mr Gibbings’s former girlfriend, and Cleveland Rogers, her half-brother, are alleged to have committed the murder. Both deny the charge.

The prosecution earlier alleged that Mr Gibbings was lured to the apartment and was stabbed to death by Mr Rogers.

The trial continues.

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