'Suicide pact' trial: Matthew Birkinshaw 'wanted to die'
A woman accused of leaving a postman to die after entering a suicide pact has told a jury she had no input into his decision to kill himself.
Natasha Gordon, 44, denies encouraging or assisting in the death of Matthew Birkinshaw, who was found dead in his car at Rutland Water in December 2015.
Ms Gordon, of Paston, Peterborough, told the jury at Leicester Crown Court Mr Birkinshaw "wanted to die".
"If you're suicidal, you're suicidal. That doesn't change," she added.
Ms Gordon had sent Mr Birkinshaw texts before his death, including one which read: "Do you still want to go? My (suicide) partner let me down today. I want to go soon," the court was told.
Previously the court heard the pair had met on an internet forum where 31-year-old Mr Birkinshaw, from Walsall, spoke of ending his life.
During chats over the course of several days, Ms Gordon told him she was prepared to be his "suicide partner", prosecutors said.
On Monday, the court heard Ms Gordon had previous suicide pact partners but they had cut her out as "they didn't think I was genuine".
Ali Naseem Bajwa QC, defending, asked Ms Gordon: "Did you input into [Mr Birkinshaw's] decision to commit suicide?"
She replied: "No, he wanted to die."
She told the jury: "Everybody has a choice to do what they do. You don't expect to be forced to do anything.
"He really wanted to go, he wanted to die.
"Matthew offered for me to go with him, it wasn't the other way round."
The trial continues.