A MAN on trial for jointly murdering two drug dealers has denied he was trying to “frame” his co-accused – a Huddersfield man – to “save his own skin.”

Ross Stone, 28, is charged with former Denby Dale man Thomas Haigh, 26, of shooting dead David Griffiths, 35, from Plymouth and Brett Flournoy, 31, from Merseyside at a farm near St Austell, Cornwall.

Prosecutors at Truro Crown Court argue Stone and Haigh murdered the men at Sunny Corner, Trenance Downs on June 16 last year because they were being pressured over drug debts.

Yesterday Stone, who lived at the farm, denied blasting the men with a 12-bore shotgun.

John Elvidge, QC, representing Haigh, who denies murder, said: “You shot and killed Brett Flournoy and David Griffiths didn’t you? With a shotgun that was in your possession.”

Stone replied: “No. I didn’t.

“The shotgun had been in my possession for a couple of weeks, yes – but I didn’t kill them.”

On Tuesday Stone said he borrowed the weapon from a friend just in case he needed to shoot a 12-stone bull mastiff he and Haigh had brought as a guard dog.

He said if the animal got loose it might attack livestock or people and would have to be destroyed.

Yesterday Mr Elvidge asked him why he failed to tell police about this during a series of interviews and instead gave a “no comment” response to questions.

Stone said he had been acting on advice from his solicitor not to answer.

He said he could not explain why he had not included the information about the dog in his later defence statement.

Stone said he believed Haigh shot the men.

He said he received a call from Haigh on the evening of June 16 and arrived in his van at the farm to find Mr Griffiths lying in a lane and Mr Flournoy on the ground nearby.

He denies murder but admits disposing of the bodies by placing them in Mr Flournoy’s van and pushing it into a pit before setting fire to everything.

Mr Elvidge said: “After you shot Brett Flournoy and David Griffiths you had to cover your tracks.”

Stone said: “I cleared up the mess he (Haigh) left.”

Mr Elvidge said: “From the beginning your intention has been to frame Thomas Haigh for what you did. You wanted to put the finger on him.”

But Stone said: “That’s not so.”

Stone said when he saw the two men lying on the ground he did not get out of his van to check if they were alive and did not ring for an ambulance because he was “shocked and petrified.”

The trial continues.