A 17-YEAR-OLD who admits helping to bury the body of Jayden Parkinson has said he would never have knowingly aided her killer.

The youth, who cannot be named for legal reasons, gave evidence in Oxford Crown Court for the first time this afternoon and told the jury he was repeatedly lied to by Ben Blakeley.

He admits perverting the course of justice by helping to bury Jayden's body in a cemetery next to All Saints Church in Didcot but denies preventing a lawful burial, claiming not to have known what was being buried.

His defence barrister Martin Steen, asked him: "Did it ever occur to you that (Blakeley) might be guilty of murder? Did you ever think he might have killed Jayden?"

The witness said: "No".

Mr Steen said: "Would you have helped him if you thought he had killed Jayden?"

The 17-year-old replied: "No."

He  described helping to dig the first of two graves for Jayden on December 5 and said: "(Blakeley) said he was going to go and bury some weapons.

"At the time I didn't put two and two together."

Blakeley admits manslaughter and perverting the course of justice but denies murder.

The trial continues.