Tracey Woodford was 'strangled and dismembered by man she met in the pub'. Picture: South Wales Police

A FORMER butcher accused of hacking a woman’s body into pieces “displayed” his victim’s severed head in an underground tunnel, a court has heard.

Christopher May, 50, is accused of strangling Tracey Woodford, 47, to death and having sex with her corpse before chopping her body to pieces, The Independent reports.

The pair had met at the Skinny Dog pub in Pontypridd, South Wales, on April 21 and left together when it closed, the Guardian reports.

When the woman failed to return home after visiting her local pub for a few drinks, her family contacted police.

Officers’ investigations led them to the home of May, where Ms Woodford’s body parts were discovered in the shower.

Tracey Woodford was reported missing when she did not come home the night she met May.Source:Supplied

The woman’s head was not with the rest of her dismembered body parts, instead it was later found “displayed” inside a storm drain, Cardiff Crown Court has heard.

Prosecutor Roger Thomas QC described how officers made the “very strange” discovery.

“One does have to consider what this involved: the defendant carrying a body part and a human head across Pontypridd into a dark tunnel, walking in for 138 metres,” he said.

“What was the purpose of displaying the head in that manner (on a ledge).

“Why would a man behave in this way with a woman’s head?”

A colleague of the former butcher told the court May was “very good” at using boning knives, the Independent reports.

“It seems that his experience in the butcher’s shop had been put to use on a human body,” Mr Thomas said in court.

Artist’s sketch of Christopher May the dock at Cardiff Crown Court where he is on trial for murder. Picture: Elizabeth Cook/PASource:AP

Before leaving the Skinny Dog pub with May, it is believed Ms Woodford had a number of drinks at a different venue (her local pub) before being refused service for being too drunk.

Ms Woodford then made her way to the Skinny Dog, and started talking to May and two other men.

“There was flirting taking place between Tracey Woodford and Christopher May,” Mr Thomas said.

“She was spoken to by someone and told, ‘If I buy you a few more drinks, would you come home with me tonight?’.”

Jurors were shown CCTV footage of Ms Woodford walking with May around midnight.

May denies murder and the trial continues.