A man accused of carrying out a murder in a Dover graveyard told a health worker: "It wasn't me..it was him... Jason!"

But a jury at Maidstone Crown Court heard that "Jason" is defendant Justin Burnett's alter ego.

The 38-year-old is accused of murdering homeless Piotr Lacheta - known as "Polish Pete", who died from "blunt force" trauma.

His body was discovered with 30 head injuries, broken ribs and neck injuries and had been left in Cowgate Cemetery in Dover in October 2019.

Burnett and Mr Lacheta's partner Claire Lunn, 48, have both denied a charge of murder.

Mr Lacheta's body was discovered by two women walking dogs near the graveyard, situated near to alms houses.

The jury heard that Mr Lacheta, a 55-year-old homeless man, had been "possibly" strangled and "clearly" beaten to death just hours earlier.

Prosecutor Eloise Marshall QC told the jury: "When they found Mr Lacheta he was face up. His body had been dragged to where it was found.

"It was 59 ft away from where Mr Lacheta had been living in a tent. He was a homeless man living in a cemetery."

The prosecutor alleged that while the dog walkers were telling police what they had found, Lunn approached them.

She asked: "What's happened here?" before going to the body and adding: "That's my partner."

Ms Marshall added: "When they told her they thought he was dead, she appeared calm and unemotional.

And when they asked his name Lunn replied: "I'm not telling you...you're not the ****** police," Ms Marshall claimed.

Lunn is alleged to have said she last saw her partner "yesterday afternoon".

Ms Marshall added: "It later transpired that Claire Lunn was lying because people who lived in and around the graveyard heard a fight on the night of his death between Lunn, Burnett and Mr Lacheta."

People heard Mr Lacheta screaming and Burnett is alleged to have told someone he had "stamped all over" the victim.

Ms Marshall said Lunn and Mr Lacheta had been a couple for five years and had lived in the cemetery for several months in two single tents, next the each other.

'Jason must have done it because I don't remember anything about it. I don't know what happened, I must have blacked out and Jason must have taken over...'

"Both were very heavy drinkers and their relationship was violent. They were often heard screaming at one another."

One witness later told police she heard a man's voice shouting: "Are you a man? Get up. Come out here."

The prosecutor told how earlier Lunn had been seen with a black eye and had told people they had been caused by Piotr Lacheta.

"And at the time she was being dealt with for an assault against Piotr Lacheta in Dover town centre two months earlier," Ms Marshall said.

She explained Burnett had spent the night in Lunn's tent and was awoken by police.

When paramedics arrived Burnett, who was holding a can of alcohol, told police: "This doesn't look good..he's dead. I'm not stupid."

Officers discovered Mr Lacheta's tent had been flattened and police believe he died nearby where experts discovered blood spattered on gravestones.

After being arrested for murder Lunn told officers: "Me?" and Burnett replied: "Murder? I couldn't murder a wet fart!

"I got caught in the rain and slept in my friend's tent. Seeing a dead body makes me feel sick," it was claimed.

At the police station Burnett is alleged to have told detectives: "I have got no clue what happened to Piotr Lacheta other than what you told me."

The prosecutor said that Burnett claimed on the day of the murder it had been raining and he had been in Deal, returning to share a bottle of vodka and some beer with Lunn.

Ms Marshall added: "He told police that he and Lunn had been having a laugh and chuckling with each other. He said there were no arguments or disagreements and no drugs were taken. And the next thing he knew he was awoken by police officers."

The victim's blood was later found on his shoes, the jury was told.

After denying moving Mr Lacheta's body, he was asked if he was known by any other name.

The prosecutor added: "He said there was a 'dude' that takes him over called Jason."

In a prepared statement, he told officers: "I do not know how Piotr died. I do not have any malice towards him. The only explanation I can give this is a result of my mental health issues."

He later spoke with an NHS mental health worker called Susan Hart and allegedly told her: "My friend did it" while pointing behind him and adding: "My friend of 30 years Jason."

Ms Hart told police that "Jason" is not a separate person but the name he has given to a voice inside his head.

Burnett told her: "Jason must have done it because I don't remember anything about it. I don't know what happened, I must have blacked out and Jason must have taken over.

"This has happened before and I wish I had never met him."

The trial, which is expected to last six weeks, continues.

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