THE ex-partner of a man accused of murder has told a jury of his money issues due to drug taking.

David John Henwood, 34 also known as David Brewer, and Kasey Wayne Rolfe, 37, are standing trial charged with the murder, and also manslaughter, of 41-year-old Jason Williams in South Ham in February.

During the trial at Winchester Crown Court today, the jury heard from Rolfe’s ex-partner Angela Charlton who said that Rolfe had been using heroin and crack cocaine for around 16 years.

Prosecutor Matthew Jewell asked Miss Charlton: “Once drugs came into his life, how was his behaviour?”

To which she told the court: “Over time it got worse.”

The court heard that even though the pair’s relationship came to an end in 2015, she still allowed Rolfe to stay at her residence, sleeping on her sofa.

Miss Charlton told the court that as soon as Rolfe’s JobSeeker’s Allowance was paid in to his account, he would spend the money on drugs.

When asked if Rolfe asked her for money, she said: “Sometimes,” and if she knew what he used the money for she responded, “to buy drugs.”

The body of Mr Williams was found in an alleyway off of Margaret Road, South Ham near Russell Howard Park. He was found in the early hours of February 20, and his death was later determined to be caused by a single stab wound to the chest.

The jury heard that on the morning of February 20, Miss Charlton woke to hear dustbin men coming, and rushed to put her bins out, as she had forgotten.

After having a conversation with the dustbin men, she was told someone had been killed.

She said: “They told me the park had been closed because of what they described as a murder. I went back into the house to tell Kasey and he just asked ‘where?’.”

Later that night, the court heard, the pair discussed how it was likely a “drug related murder”.

In the following days Miss Charlton said she was visited by the police who were doing checks during the day.

When the police came to visit her she told the court that her phone started to ring, and she saw it was Rolfe.

She told the court: “He was whispering and said he was in the cells and they were charging him with murder.”

The jury then heard Miss Charlton say when Rolfe was told the police were there he added: “Don’t tell the police it was me.”

The court also heard from PC Rowan McComb, who was tasked with arresting Rolfe on February 21.

PC McComb told the court that he was in an unmarked police car on February 21, when he saw Rolfe in Mary Rose Court. The two made eye contact and when PC McComb opened his car door Rolfe ran off.

PC McComb said: “I shouted for him to stop but he did not stop. He jumped over a fence into the yard of Mary Rose Court.”

The jury heard that Rolfe had climbed through a window of Mary Rose Court and locked himself in the bathroom before being arrested. When PC McComb told him he was being arrested on suspicion of murder he “laughed” and “seemed relaxed”.

Rolfe was released under investigation but then later re-arrested on March 27, when PC McComb described his demeaner as “nervous” and “he looked frail”.

When re-arrested, the court heard that Rolfe proclaimed, “I didn’t f*****g do anything.”

The prosecution also read out Henwood’s police interview in which he said that he was “ashamed” of being a drug user and was trying to “get off it because I’ve got a family.”

During the interview, Henwood said he had previously spent all his savings on drugs.

On February 20, Henwood said he went into Basingstoke town centre where he saw some other drug users who told him about the murder.

He said: “Obviously it shocked me, but I didn’t think anything of it.”

Henwood, of Edmund Court and Rolfe, of no fixed abode, both deny the charges against them.

The trial continues.