A woman told a court how she washed her boyfriend's clothes just hours after a murder.

Denise Ashby said Tony Griffiths asked her to wash his things when he went to the hostel she was living at.

She told a court she frequently washed his clothes because he was living rough in Brighton.

Miss Ashby said at that stage she did not realise homeless alcoholic Terry Hannaby had been killed.

She said she was shocked when her friend Caroline Bambrick told her he had been found dead outside Brighton Town Hall.

At Hove Crown Court yesterday, she admitted she lied to police investigating his death.

She said she told officers who interviewed her she had not washed any clothes.

However, she admitted what she had done after detectives were told by street drinker Clifford Johnson what had happened.

She said: "Tony asked me to do his washing the morning Terry was found dead. I have done it for him lots of times because he was living on the street.

"It was worrying me and when I bumped into Cliff I told him I thought I was in deep trouble. He blew me into the police for doing the washing."

It is alleged Mr Hannaby was kicked and stamped to death at Bartholomew Square, Brighton, in the early hours of September 4.

His body was found under a blood-soaked duvet by security staff as they let cleaners into the building.

Declan Mallon, 38, Andrew Stanley, 40, Anthony Griffiths, 33 and Gareth Russell, 25, all of no fixed address, deny murder.

Charles Miskin, QC, prosecuting, alleges all four men have been linked to the scene of the killing by DNA or fingerprint evidence.

Witness Donald O'Regan told the jury yesterday he spoke to Stanley and Griffiths when they were on remand in Lewes Prison.

He said both told him the other man had killed Mr Hannaby. He added Mallon was asleep in Old Steine gardens from 10.30pm on the night of the killing.

The trial continues.