A WOMAN helped her wanted husband avoid facing trial by sending thousands of pounds to him after he fled the country, a court has heard.

Phoebe McKenzie, of Winterborne Close, Bicester denies one count of perverting the course of public justice between September 8, 2016, and January 9, 2017.

The 42-year old is alleged to have transferred about £2,400 to her husband Paul McKenzie, who was at large at the time having fled to the Czech Republic while wanted by police to appear at Oxford Crown Court.

Mr McKenzie was due to face two charges of distributing and possessing indecent images of images of children but failed to show up at his trial at the court on September 9 last year.

A jury of seven women and five men were sworn in at the same court yesterday for the start of his wife’s trial for helping him.

Daniel Wright, prosecuting, told the jury that a number of Western Union receipts showed that McKenzie had been supporting her husband while he was out of the country.

He said: “She was arrested on January 9 and following her arrest she made a statement saying ‘I love him, I just wanted to help him’.

“The behaviour of this defendant was nothing less than perverting the course of justice.

“She assisted the other defendant who would not have remained at large that long.”

When being interviewed by police she gave no comment relating to the payments.

As well as Western Union receipts, the court heard, text messages were also found by police confirming a series of money transfers allegedly made to her husband. The trial continues.