A couple accused of murdering an alcoholic in an Ipswich park were seen walking round Ipswich holding hands on the day of the alleged killing, a court has been told.

Police officers investigating the murder of 35-year-old Christopher Thompson, whose body was found in Chantry Park last November viewed CCTV footage from around the town centre and saw Christopher Wilson and his girlfriend Deanna Stanton walking towards the dock area holding hands just hours after Mr Thomspon was last seen alive, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

Benjamin Aina QC prosecuting claimed that after leaving the dock area the couple had gone to a flat in Samuel Court, Ipswich where Wilson had allegedly told a man he knew that he needed to be put up for a few nights because he had lost his temper and killed someone.

The man told Wilson and Stanton they couldn’t come into his flat and advised them to hand themselves into the police. After leaving Samuel Court the couple were caught on CCTV cameras walking around Ipswich and were seen at around 2pm walking along Ipswich docks holding hands again, said Mr Aina.

He said Stanton Claimed Wilson had killed Mr Thompson and she had only stayed with him afterwards because she was frightened of him and the jury would have to consider whether the footage of them holding hands assisted them in deciding whether she was telling the truth or not.

Wilson, 33 and Stanton, 26, both of no fixed address have denied murdering Mr Thompson on November 15 last year.

Wilson has also denied doing an act intended to pervert the course of justice.

Benjamin Aina QC, prosecuting, told the court that Mr Thompson had been homeless at the time of his death and had been sleeping wherever he could find shelter.

He had spent the evening before his death drinking in Chantry Park with Stefan Arbon who had been sleeping rough in a tent in the park and the two defendants.

In the early hours of November 15 the group left the park to buy alcohol and on their way back there had allegedly been a fight between Mr Arbon and Wilson.

Mr Arbon told the other three to remove their belongings from his tent at around 3.30am and that was the last time he had seen Mr Thompson alive, said Mr Aina.

Mr Thompson’s body was discovered by a man walking his dog in the park at 6.30am and a post mortem examination found the cause of death was strangulation.

Mr Aina has alleged that both defendants were responsible for hitting and punching Mr Thompson and that Wilson was responsible for strangling him.

He said Stanton claimed Wilson was responsible for killing Mr Thompson and she was an innocent bystander while Wilson claimed that Stanton had been responsible for kicking and stamping on Mr Thompson and he was an innocent bystander.

The trial continues today (Wed).