Tape recordings played to a jury in a murder trial showed police were told eight times in one day that a man had been killed - but the claims were treated as a hoax.

Recordings of telephone calls between police and Edward Doyle, giving names of people who he said murdered Sean Miles, their addresses, and where to find his body, were played at the city's crown court yesterday.

Mr Miles, 37, of Herschel Crescent, Littlemore, was found beaten and drowned in the River Thames on May 1 last year, after allegations he touched a four-year-old boy.

Edward Doyle, 34, Terry McMaster, 24, Karen Fathers, 35, and Tracey Fathers, 35, all of Alice Smith Square, Littlemore, deny murdering Mr Miles.

Tapes played to the jury were recorded on May 8. The first phone call cut off seconds after Doyle said a man was killed and put in a river.

Then Doyle rang back and said he wanted to report a murder. He said: "They've taken him down the river, they got him to strip naked, then they've made him jump in a river with a bad arm, knowing he's got a broken arm and he can't swim, and he's autistic. And then the bloke, he's sort of like, he's come, to try and come back to the shore and they pushed him away."

The operator asked for Doyle's girlfriend Tracey Fathers to be put on the line. She said it was lies and he was drunk, the jury heard.

But Doyle rang back, giving police directions to the River Thames, where they could find Mr Miles' body.

Asked why he was killed, Doyle replied: "Because he's autistic and effectively she (Karen Fathers) thought he was messing around with her little boy".

At one stage officers spoke to Tracey Fathers, warning Doyle's mobile would be barred from dialling 999 if he did not stop. But Doyle rang back and pleaded with the police to take him seriously, the jury heard. He said: "I ain't telling you a load of lies, this is sort of like true."

The eighth time Doyle rang he asked to speak to someone senior. The operator said details would be passed to her supervisor.

The court also heard a hoax call made by Doyle on May 4, reporting a domestic incident.

The trial continues.