The two people accused of murdering Oxford man Guy Thomas told friends they had punched and bottled him the night before he was found dead, a jury heard.

Peter Rous, 32, of Pegasus Road, Blackbird Leys, and Sara Kingston, 33, of Foresters Tower, Wood Farm, have denied murdering Mr Thomas and are standing trial at Oxford Crown Court.

One of their friends at the time, Samantha Carp, said Rous and Kingston visited her at 9.30am on Friday, February 10.

Mr Thomas was found dead at his flat, in Pound Way, Cowley, on the same day.

Miss Carp told the jury yesterday that Rous and Kingston had mentioned an incident the night before during a conversation.

She said: "Peter said Sara was a nutter - and she said she had bottled somebody.

"They said that there was a bloodbath and that the person Sara bottled was annoying her in some way.

"One of them said Peter had punched him as well. They said it was a friend of theirs, Guy, but I don't know him."

Mr Thomas bled to death from three wounds to the top of his head and was found dead by his friend Stephen Hobbs.

Rous and Kingston are accused of beating him during a heavy drinking session.

The trial will continue next week.