A WITNESS in a double murder trial told how one of the suspects jumped out of a car and fled from police believing “the net was closing in on him”.

Thomas Haigh, 26, fled as a friend was driving him back to his father’s home in Denby Dale, a court heard.

Haigh later handed himself in to police in Huddersfield.

Haigh and Ross Stone, 28, are jointly charged with killing drug dealers David Griffiths, 35, from Plymouth, and Brett Flournoy, 31, from Merseyside, at a small holding in Cornwall.

Truro Crown Court was told the victims were gunned down at Sunny Corner, Trenance Downs, near St Austell.

Their bodies were hauled into the back of Flournoy’s Citroen Berlingo van and pushed into a pit 4 metres deep (7ft 10in).

The vehicle was set alight and the hole later covered over with earth.

Stone admits getting rid of the bodies but denies murder. Haigh also denies murder.

According to prosecutors both men had a motive for wanting Flournoy and Griffiths dead. Haigh is said to have been under pressure from the pair to make a second drugs run to Brazil to smuggle narcotics into the UK and he did not want to go.

Stone, who lived at the small holding is said to have owed the men a drug debt of £30,000 and he and his family were being threatened by the pair.

Truro Crown Court has already heard prosecutors argue the slayings took place on the evening of June 16 last year.

The following morning Haigh, of no fixed abode but originally from Denby Dale, caught a train from St Austell railway station to stay with his father in Denby Dale.

Yesterday the jury heard Haigh ended up staying in the Oakwell area of Barnsley with a girlfriend, Rebecca Copping.

Miss Copping was renting a house owned by her brother Christopher.

On the weekend of July 15 Miss Copping went to a friend’s wedding and left Haigh in the house.

Christopher Copping gave evidence yesterday via a video link and said he knew Haigh was staying at the property.

He said he heard on the grapevine armed police had raided a house belonging to a friend of Haigh’s in the belief he was there.

Mr Copping said he wanted Haigh out of his house on Windermere Road in case police arrived and damaged the property breaking down the door.

He said he went to the house on the evening of Sunday July 17 but found the front door locked from the inside and he was unable to use his key to gain access.

Mr Copping said he climbed over the wall at the back of the house and saw Haigh inside who let him in.

Haigh agreed to leave the house and Mr Copping agreed to drive him to his father’s house in Denby Dale.

Mr Copping said: “Tom said he was going to hand himself in (to police) because he didn’t have anywhere else to go.

“I think he knew his prospects were pretty slim and the net was beginning to close in on him. I think he just wanted one more day before he handed himself in.”

Mr Copping said Haigh changed his mind about going to his father’s house and asked him to turn the car around and head back to Oakwell.

He said when Haigh spotted a police cordon near Windermere Road he jumped out of the car and ran away.

The following day Haigh went to the police station in Huddersfield and handed himself in. The trial continues.