A MAN accused of murder told police he believed his friend killed two drug dealers at a farm in Cornwall, a jury heard.

Ross Stone, 28, is charged jointly with Thomas Haigh, 26, of killing David Griffiths, 35, from Plymouth, and Brett Flournoy, 31, from Merseyside who were said to be pressuring them over drug debts.

And in a police interview, Stone said he thought Haigh, formerly of Denby Dale, had killed the pair, after he was badly beaten.

Both deny the double-slayings and stand trial at Truro Crown Court.

The charred remains of the victims were found buried in Flournoy’s van in a pit at Sunny Corner, Trenance Downs in St Austell, on July 14 last year – a month after they went missing. Both had been killed with a shotgun.

Stone, who lived at Sunny Corner, admits disposing of the bodies.

The drug dealers sent Haigh to live at the farm to keep an eye on Stone who was growing cannabis to repay his debt.

Yesterday the court heard a series of police interviews between police and the defendants.

After initially denying any knowledge of the deaths, Stone told officers on the evening of June 16 that Haigh rang him on his mobile phone in a “distressed” state.

Stone said: “I had no part in the deaths of David Griffiths and Brett Flournoy.

“I drove into the lane (at the farm) and saw a body. It was Dave’s. He was covered in blood.

“I carried on driving and saw Brett’s body lying near a van. I rang Tom Haigh and he stepped out into the road. He had been very badly beaten.

“He did not say he had killed them but he did say Dave would not die. I believe Tom killed them. I don’t expect he planned it. It looked like he’d had a real beating.”

In a previous statement he did not mention getting rid of the bodies but then told police where to dig on the farm.

On June 17, Haigh travelled by train to Yorkshire and on July 18 handed himself into police in Huddersfield.

He told officers he was at the farm on June 16 but fled after Mr Griffiths attacked him with a piece of wood because he had brought a girl back to the property on a previous occasion.

Haigh said he was Flournoy’s driver, that they were close friends and he was being paid to babysit Stone.

He said while in Yorkshire he heard police were looking for him and thought it was for another matter.

He said: “There was a warrant out for me for possession of a firearm up in Cumbria. I thought I was going to get arrested for that.”

The trial continues.