GRANDFATHER Bryan Maloney, who was cleared of murdering friend Karen Chandler, has spoken for the first time to declare his innocence and describe his ordeal on remand.

Mr Maloney, 64, of Haggs Lane, Urchfont, who was found not guilty by a majority verdict, said: "I know I am innocent and my family know I am innocent. That is all that matters to me."

He praised his family for standing by him from the moment he was arrested in June last year for the murder of the Urchfont mother-of-two.

Mr Maloney said he could not have gone through the ordeal without the support of his family wife, Gwen, daughters Kim and Dawn, and son Derek. He said: "They have stuck by me through the whole thing. They never lost faith in me for a moment. They knew I could never do something like that."

During the two week trial at Bristol Crown Court the jury was told Mr Maloney was obsessed with Mrs Chandler and that he rang her at all hours of the day and night and showered her with presents.

But this week Mr Maloney, who under cross-examination had admitted he loved Mrs Chandler, claimed they were no more than platonic friends and he was happy with that arrangement.

He said: "It was a two-way thing, we each gave the other presents. Sometimes I would give her money to buy something for her two boys."

He said phone records proved he did not ring excessively. He said: "I rang her each morning at 4am to give her a wake-up call and sometimes during the day, but not late at night."

"We were only ever just very good friends."

He says the two were brought together by their mutual love of gardening. He met Mrs Chandler when she came to Newsyde Farm, Urchfont, with her previous husband Stephen in 1990.

Even after she had separated from her husband and moved to West Lavington, she continued to remain in contact with Mr Maloney, and was often seen working in his garden at Haggs Lane.

In return, he tended the garden she had begun at the Ministry of Defence depot in Ludgershall where she worked as a security officer.

Mr Maloney accused the police of believing he was guilty from the start and not looking at other avenues of inquiry.

He was taken to Chippenham Police Station where he says he underwent many interviews, often late at night. On three consecutive nights, he says he was interrogated from about 11pm until the small hours of the following morning.

Mr Maloney said: "I expect they thought they would break me because I was tired. But I just stuck to telling the truth."

While on remand in Horfield Prison, Bristol, Mr Maloney was a model inmate. He said: "I just kept my head down, was polite to everyone and kept my feelings to myself. There were times I felt like shouting and swearing but I knew it would do me no good."

As a result, he received sympathetic treatment from prison officers and he has nothing but praise for the security officers of the private firm who transported him to and from court appearances. He said: "These people are used to handling prisoners all the time. They know when someone's innocent or not and they were rooting for me all along."

Mr Maloney said he has not been out since he walked from court a free man on October 30, and for him the nightmare is far from over.

"I still get flashbacks. I haven't slept through the night since.," he said.

He remembers the announcement of the verdict vividly.

He said: "I stood there, feeling very light-headed and when it was announced all I could hear was my family cheering. Then it hit me and I broke down in tears. I remember seeing my barrister punching the air and shouting 'yes'. Before I knew it I was outside in the open air with my family round me. I just couldn't believe it.

"The judge didn't seem very happy about it. She didn't even thank the jury which I didn't think was very nice of her."