A POLICE officer has described his investigation on the night homeless man Denis Witney was found badly beaten.

Dc Justin Walsh gave evidence yesterday at Oxford Crown Court.

Mr Witney was discovered outside Marcus Roberts’ Pianos in St Clement’s Street, East Oxford, on November 8 last year. He later died at Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital after suffering a heart attack.

Wayne Cattell, 37, of Mortimer Road, Rose Hill, Daniel McCollin, 30, of Blay Close, Blackbird Leys, and Joanne Moriarty, 29, of Mortimer Road, Rose Hill, all deny murder.

Dc Walsh first spoke to Moriarty who was already with police officers in Iffley Road at about 2.40am on the morning of November 9.

Dc Walsh said: “She stated to me that she had heard somebody was hurt. I asked her who had told her someone was hurt. She told me it was what people were saying.”

At 2.45am Dc Walsh spoke to Katey Hayes who had been living at the house in St Clement’s Street where Mr Witney was allegedly beaten.

Dc Walsh said: “She understood it started over something trivial and she could not believe he had died.

“She told me that one of the people involved was called Danny and that he had been the nastiest of the two.”

He added: “She had said she felt terrible she had not told them to stop. She had not realised what was happening. She told me she should not have stayed upstairs.”

The trial continues.