The killing of a man found beaten and drowned in a river was pre-planned, a jury heard today.

Edward Doyle, 34, Terry McMaster, 24, Tracey Fathers, 35, and her sister Karen Fathers, 35, all from Alice Smith Square in Littlemore, deny murdering Sean Miles on May 1 last year.

Yesterday, Kim Buckley told the murder trial at Oxford Crown Court she spoke to Tracey Fathers about the death while they were both on remand at Bronzefield Prison in Kent last year.

Miss Buckley told the jury Fathers said she had pleaded not guilty to a murder but admitted being present when Mr Miles died.

She said: "She didn't say how Sean was in their company but said her and her sister and her boyfriend, or Eddie - I'm not sure - were getting drunk and (Sean) was already there and that they had pre-planned to murder him."

Adrian Redgrave, prosecuting, asked Miss Buckley what Tracey Fathers told her about what happened before Mr Miles died.

She said: "They asked Sean to get his favourite toy out of the cupboard and it was a golf club. They wrapped him in a quilt. They took him to a river and put him in the river and poked him with a stick or a golf club and he said he couldn't swim, then there were bubbles and he died. She seemed uncaring and cold."

Nigel Lamont, defending Tracey Fathers, asked whether the defendant ever said she assaulted Mr Miles and Miss Buckley said she had not.

The trial continues.