A man on trial for the murder of his girlfriend claims she died after falling down the stairs of the home they shared in Co Kilkenny.

Renars Veigulis is accused of murdering Rita Apine, who died in May 2017 after suffering severe blunt force trauma to the head.

Mr Veigulis moved to Ireland from his native Latvia five years ago, and his girlfriend Rita Apine followed him over six months later.

On May 14th 2017, they were living together in a house at Old Bridge Street in Freshford.

Just after noon that day, Mr Veigulis called an ambulance claiming his girlfriend had fallen down the stairs.

She was taken to hospital where she died later that day.

A post-mortem revealed she died from severe blunt force trauma to the head.

Mr Veigulis was arrested after Gardaí noticed some blood in a location of the house that was not consistent with his claim she simply fell down the stairs.

He maintained that was the case during the interviews that followed.

A paramedic told the jury the accused changed his top as Ms Apine was being treated at the scene.

It is the prosecution's case that blood spatter on the top he took off was also not consistent with his version of events.

The trial continues tomorrow.