Aaron Hernandez's girlfriend accused of helping to destroy evidence that Patriots star 'told her to get rid of'

• Couple had 'don't ask don't tell' relationship arrangement
• Shayanna Jenkins pleaded not guilty to perjury after allegedly lying to jury
• 24-year-old allegedly denied asking maids to sign non-disclose agreements
  
• Footballer accused of shooting semi-professional player Odin Lloyd on June 17
  

By Daily Mail Reporter

Published: 19:30 EST, 15 October 2013 | Updated: 07:21 EST, 16 October 2013

The girlfriend of New England Patriots footballer Aaron Hernandez was in court today accused of lying about the disposal of evidence in the murder case against him.

Standing just feet from relatives of Odin Lloyd, who was shot dead in June, Shayanna Jenkins pleaded not guilty to a single charge of perjury for allegedly lying to a Massachusetts grand jury.

The 24-year-old, said to have a 'don't ask don't tell' relationship with Hernandez, is accused of lying at a hearing in August about where she threw a box he allegedly asked her to 'get rid of' after Mr Lloyd's murder, Bristol County Assistant District Attorney Patrick Bomberg said.

Charges: Shayanna Jenkins has been accused of perjury in the murder case against Aaron Hernandez

Grief: Ursula Ward, whose son Odin was shot dead, wipes away tears in the Massachusetts court as she listens to Jenkins' testimony

Jenkins is also accused of falsely telling police that Mr Lloyd, who was dating her sister, dealt drugs, prosecutors said.

She initially invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, but was later granted immunity for her testimony, Mr Bomberg said.

Hernandez, 23, has pleaded not guilty to the murder on June 17 of Mr Lloyd, a 27-year-old semi-professional footballer from Boston. He is being held without bail.

Mr Lloyd's body was found near the North Attleborough home Jenkins and Hernandez shared with their infant daughter, according to Boston.com.

His mother, Ursula Ward, was seen to wipe away tears in the courtroom as she listened to testimony from Jenkins.

In court on Tuesday, Mr Bomberg said that the day after Mr Lloyd was killed, Jenkins retrieved a box from the basement of the home she shared with Hernandez in North Attleborough, Massachusetts, put it in a trash bag, covered it with baby clothes and drove away with it.

Accused: New England Patriots footballer Aaron Hernandez is facing murder and gun charges

Jenkins repeatedly told grand jurors she threw the box in a dumpster but couldn't recall where, according to Mr Bomberg.

The attorney did not say what is believed to have been in the box. 

Hernandez's associate Carlos Ortiz, who is charged as an accessory in the case, has told investigators the professional footballer put firearms in a box in his basement after the killing, according to court records.

Victim: Semi-professional footballer Odin Lloyd was shot dead in June

Prosecutors have said the murder weapon has not been found.

Jenkins, who has turned up to support Hernandez at his court hearings, also allegedly denied asking her maids to sign non-disclosure agreements after Mr Lloyd's death, the Courant reported.

The maids, who reported seeing guns at the house, later testified before the grand jury that Jenkins did ask them to sign documents, copies of which have been submitted as evidence, Mr Bomberg said.

Defense attorney Janice Bassil said Jenkins answered every question asked of her before the grand jury and that prosecutors were overreaching with the perjury charge.

She said there is no evidence Jenkins lied and that prosecutors sought the indictment simply because they didn't believe her.

She called lead prosecutor William McCauley's questioning of Jenkins 'extremely aggressive' and heavy-handed.

Ms Bassil described the relationship between Jenkins and Hernandez, who have a child together, as one of 'don't ask, don't tell'. 

She claimed that style of relationship, where couples share only parts of their lives with each other, was common among sports figures and entertainers.

The perjury charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years.

Prosecutors have asked the judge assigned to the Hernandez case, Susan Garsh, to recuse herself, saying she and Mr McCauley have a 'well-known and publicly documented history of antagonism' stemming from a 2010 murder trial he argued before her.

Mr McCauley won a conviction in that case but was quoted in the press as criticizing Judge Garsh, saying she had unfairly limited or excluded evidence and exhibited antagonism. A hearing on the request is scheduled for Monday.

Three others face charges in the Hernandez case. Ernest Wallace and Ortiz, who prosecutors say were with Hernandez and Mr Lloyd in a car on the night Mr Lloyd was killed, have been charged with being an accessory to murder after the fact.

Wallace has pleaded not guilty and is being held on $500,000 bail. Ortiz is scheduled to be arraigned on Friday.

Hernandez's cousin, Tanya Singleton, has pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit accessory after the fact and criminal contempt. Prosecutors say she refused to testify before the grand jury even though she was offered immunity.

Perjury: Shayanna Jenkins is accused of lying about helping to dispose of a box after Mr Lloyd's murder

Relationship: Jenkins was said to have a 'don't ask don't tell' arrangement with boyfriend Hernandez, the court was told

Hernandez has also been linked to an investigation into a double homicide in Boston in 2012. While investigating Mr Lloyd's death, police found a SUV rented in Hernandez's name at the home of his uncle, which was wanted in connection with those killings.

Jenkins was released on personal recognizance during her arraignment in Fall River Superior Court on a single perjury count. Prosecutors had sought $5,000 cash bail.

She is due back in court for a pre-trial conference on November 6.

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