Two ex-BMW workers who deny murdering a former colleague smoked crack cocaine at a friend's house just hours after he was killed, a court heard.

The body of Christopher Butt, 48, was found with a pillow over his face on November 11 last year. But Oxford Crown Court was told yesterday that he had been strangled two days earlier.

Martin Cooper, 31, and Graeme Faulkner, 27, are accused of robbing and murdering Mr Butt in his flat in Beauchamp Place, Cowley. Faulkner is also accused of manslaughter.

Cooper, of Dane Valley Road, Margate, has admitted robbery and manslaughter but denies murder. Faulkner, now of Banbury Road, Oxford, denies all charges.

The court was told that Cooper rang his girlfriend, Anne Nicholls, late on November 9 and he and Faulkner arrived at her flat in Jericho, Oxford, several hours later.

They smoked crack cocaine and said they were going on holiday to France.

Ms Nicholls said: "They said they wanted to go away on holiday and Martin said I may not see him for a while." After Mr Butt was killed, his credit card was used in Oxford, London, Bournemouth, Margate, Crawley, Calais in France and Amsterdam in Holland.

Cooper and Faulkner were arrested in Dover when they returned to England.

Both men say they went to Mr Butt's flat, Faulkner's former home, on November 9, to pick up Faulkner's belongings, but Faulkner denies being in the flat when Mr Butt was killed.

Cooper said he grabbed Mr Butt by the throat and walked him to his bedroom where he tied something around Mr Butt's neck "to make him know I was being serious."

The trial continues.