Millionaire death in Spain: Murder accused model 'was shot at'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-36368429

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A model accused of killing a British millionaire at his Spanish mansion told a court they shot at each other during a violent struggle before he died.

Mayka Kukucova, 26, has been charged with murdering former jewellery store owner Andrew Bush, 48, from Bristol.

She said Mr Bush began to "shout" at her, "hit" her and "shot at" her when he returned to the house unexpectedly.

She left the courtroom in Malaga after breaking down in tears as images of her former partner's body were shown.

'Blood everywhere'

The court heard Mr Bush returned to his luxury villa near Marbella on 4 April 2014 with his new girlfriend Maria Korotaeva while Ms Kukucova was collecting her belongings.

Ms Kukucova's defence said "she shot him" during a violent struggle but the Slovakian swimwear model insisted she did not realise he was dead.

Giving their evidence at the Ciudad de la Justicia in Malaga, forensic medics showed the court images of Mr Bush's body, explaining that he had suffered three gunshot wounds.

They said the third, to Mr Bush's head, was the cause of his death.

Ms Kukucova told the court she fled the Costa del Sol mansion in Mr Bush's Hummer.

She later handed herself into police in Slovakia.

She was detained on suspicion of "consumed intentional homicide", before being extradited back to Spain. She has not entered a formal plea.

'Revolver in hand'

The court also heard the prosecution suggesting she may have been still in love with Mr Bush.

One lawyer asked her: "Were you jealous after seeing pictures of Mr Bush together with his new girlfriend online?"

A police officer, who attended the scene, told the court he found Mr Bush's body "face down on the floor, near the front door".

He said: "There was blood everywhere. A revolver was in his left hand."

The forensic medic said that when he arrived at the scene he had heard about a possible suicide.

But he added: "I only had to take one look to tell the police that this was not a suicide."