ONE of the co-defendants in a murder trial has told a jury how he turned to drugs in a time of tragedy.

David John Henwood, 35, of Edmund Court is standing trial charged with the murder, and also manslaughter, of 41-year-old Jason Williams in South Ham on February 20, along with co-defendant Kasey Rolfe, 37, of no fixed abode.

Today the trial heard evidence from Henwood that he returned to drugs after his daughter was stillborn.

The court heard that the defendant had previously used powder cocaine, but stopped when he met his partner, Lara Hauman.

However, after the death of his daughter Darcy he relapsed, and this is when he was introduced to crack cocaine.

He told the court: “I pretended that I was strong, but I weren’t and I led me down the wrong path.

“I started taking cocaine again to block it out.”

The court had previously heard that Henwood had got in the habit of spending all his money on drugs.

Defending Henwood, William Mousley, asked how much he would spend on drugs.

He said: “It depends how much I have, if I have £50 I spend that, if I have £10 I spend that.”

When asked what is the most he has spent Henwood responded “£1,100 on drugs when I got a tax rebate.”

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.

Mr Mousely also took the defendant through the timeline of the accused murder from February 19 to February 20, when Henwood admitted to having scored drugs after he finished work on February 19 in an alleyway off Margaret Road, South Ham

When asked about the second occasions to get drugs in the earlier hours of February, Henwood said he went up the alleyway but saw four people.

He said: “I thought it might be undercover police or something and I didn’t want to get caught.”

Mr Mousley then asked his client what did he say when he returned to Rolfe, he added: “He said it must have been Diego and Big T.

“I asked who are they and Kasey said they go around robbing drug dealers.”

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

The trial continues.