A MURDER accused said he was a “dribbling mess” and has no memory of his actions of the night a drugs supplier was shot in a countryside layby, a court heard.

Charlie Statham is one of a four men on trial alleged to have been involved in the killing of Gurinderjit Rai on July 12, 2019. Mr Rai was found the following day in a layby on Shepherds Farm Lane, in Corhampton, with two gunshot wounds.

Giving evidence today at Winchester Crown Court the 30-year-old corroborated co-defendant’s Aston Hannis’ case that two men had visited his house in Leah Gardens, Eastleigh, on Friday July 12, taking his car, money intended for drugs supplier Mr Rai and his phone. Hannis later claimed that the men phoned him and said that they had shot Mr Rai.

Statham said that he did not remember if the men came on the Thursday or Friday, telling the court: “He (Hannis) was in the house at one point and then he wasn’t.

“When Aston came back in, I could see straight away that there was something wrong as he wasn’t his usual self. He was bright red in the face, he seemed very agitated.

“I can remember him saying something about that they wanted his car as a down payment of the debt or something along them lines. That is the first time I heard about the Scousers.”

Statham said that he was “slightly intoxicated” at that point in the evening as he was drinking and taking drugs.

He told the court that he had taken 12 and 15 Valium’s that evening, he continued: “The effects of cocaine would no longer happen, I was on full effects of Valium. I was literally a dribbling mess.”

Statham, Hannis and co-defendant Paul White claim that they were at fellow accused Philip Hodan’s house on the night of the murder watching the boxing, but Statham said he cannot remember anything of that evening.

“The last vivid memory I had on Friday is Paul and Aston carrying me into the car.

“I can remember being in the car sprawled across the back seats. Me, Aston and Paul went to Phil’s house.

“I haven’t really got any vivid memories of being at Phil’s house. I had crashed at this point.

“The next thing I can really remember is waking up at Kye’s house and that is at 10, 11 o’clock Saturday evening.” Kye refers to Hannis’ cousin Kye Page.

The court was told that on the night of Mr Rai’s murder at 10.30pm Statham’s phone started to shut down and then shortly before 11pm it began the start up process and it was then turned off until 1.06am.

The prosecution claim that Statham’s phone was turned off while he and his co-defendants allegedly murdered the drug supplier.

But Statham said: “My phone had a mind of its own. It wasn’t in working order.” He denied turning the phone off deliberately.

Statham was also asked about visits he made to Longwood Dean Lane, in Upham, where Hodan lives, on the Thursday before the murder where he and Hannis claim they went to visit their friend and later to find a spot to bury Hannis’ safe.

The prosecution claim that they were trying to find a spot to later dump the Mercedes that was used during the murder. Giving evidence, Statham denied this and earlier said: “After we left Phil’s house, I am for certain that Aston told me he wanted to bury his safe, at the time that seemed perfectly plausible considering what happened to his safe houses.”

The court had previously heard that the safe houses where Hannis’ drug network kept drugs and cash were robbed in May.

Statham also said that he did not see a safe in Hannis’ car, adding that "it's got nothing to do with me".

Statham, of Crescent Close, Oliver's Battery; Hannis, 30, of Leah Gardens, Eastleigh; Corin Barlow, from Horley, Surrey; White, 27, of Dyson Drive, Abbotts Barton, all deny murder.

Hodan, 43, denies participating in the criminal activities of an organised crime group.

The trial continues.