Salon owner remained calm as she looked death in the face

A BEAUTY salon owner remained calm and controlled as she stared into the barrels of a shotgun moments before her love rival blasted her to death, the Old Bailey heard yesterday.

Lorna Stewart first greeted her alleged killer and added: "So you have come to shoot me?" said witness Lindsey Rees.

Miss Rees was working as a bookkeeper for the salon and was in the office with Miss Stewart when Rena Salmon appeared in the doorway.

Salmon had been abandoned by her husband, Paul, who was having an affair with Miss Stewart, the court has heard.

Miss Rees described Miss Stewart's last moments alive to a silent courtroom yesterday. She was the only witness to the shooting. She said Miss Stewart had been squatting, looking through some papers on the floor. They had been talking together.

"Lorna had her back to me facing the wall. I was writing a cheque and I heard Lorna say: 'Hello Rena'. I saw someone in the doorway. Then I heard Lorna say 'So you have come to shoot me?'. She said 'Yes'.

"Lorna asked 'What about the children?'

"She replied 'What about your children you have left them in Australia'.

"Lorna said 'But what about your children?' She said 'My children will be looked after by Paul'.

"Then she shot Lorna.

"It was a very controlled conversation. Neither were hysterical. They were very calm. Lorna was extremely calm in the circumstances.

"Rena had no emotion on her face or inflection in her voice."

Miss Rees was giving evidence on the third day of the trial of Rena Salmon, aged 43, from Great Shefford, Berks, who has denied murdering Miss Stewart, aged 36, on September 10 last year. Miss Rees said Salmon was holding the gun by her side pointing it down very close to Miss Stewart. She had never stopped pointing it directly at the salon owner.

After firing once "Lorna tipped over on the floor. I jumped up. I ran round the back to the stairs. I got out as quickly as I could up the stairs."

Leonie Griffin, Rena Salmon's friend in the village, said she received a text message saying "I shot Laura".

"I hope it's a joke," she replied, but rang her when there was no reply.

Mrs Griffin said: "She answered the phone and sounded quite calm.

"I said 'What have you done? I hope you are joking'."

Salmon replied: "No, I have shot her, once in the back and once in the side and she is lying on the floor."

Mrs Griffin asked if Miss Stewart was alive and Salmon said she did not know.