A MAN accused of paying to have Pennie Davis killed admitted to police he was a drug dealer but claimed he was not involved in murder, a court heard.

Prosecutors claim Benjamin Carr conspired with Justin Robertson to kill Pennie, 47, who was stabbed to death in a paddock while she tended her horse near Beaulieu last September 2.

The jury at Winchester Crown Court yesterday heard transcripts of Carr’s interviews with detectives after his arrest three days later.

Carr described alleged murderer Justin Robertson as a “dodgy character” who was a known drug dealer.

Carr initially refused to answer questions about their relationship or why Robertson and he were calling each other on their mobiles after the murder.

But on the third day of questioning Carr produced a written statement in which he explained the calls on September 2 were because he had bought a large quantity of cannabis from Robertson.

Carr claimed he took the cannabis to the home of a friend, Charlotte Temperley.

Ms Temperley in a statement denied the claim. She said: “I take cannabis every day. Ben Carr knows not to leave it with me because I would smoke whatever he left.”

She said Robertson was a known dealer in cocaine, not cannabis.

Carr repeatedly denied having anything to do with the killing.

He told officers: “I don’t know nothing about the murder. I heard about it on Facebook. I was shocked, shocked.

“No matter what me and that woman have gone through, no-one deserves to be killed.

“I have not had contact with that woman in years. I saw her in Sainsbury’s where she worked. She was stacking shelves and I walked past her. I recognised her and she recognised me.”

The officers told Carr about the sexual allegations made by Pennie against him in 2006 when he was around 14 years old and she was in a relationship with his dad. Carr told officers that they did not have a good relationship. One day he returned home to find her having sex with another man. Pennie later told Carr’s father that she had been raped but Carr did not support her story, the jury heard.

“That is when mine and Pennie’s relationship started breaking down. I resented her for that and she thought I did not back her up.”

Interrogators told Carr: “It (the killing) is something to do with you. There is no link apart from you between Pennie and Robertson. Something you have done has caused this. Pennie has been a pain in the a*** for you,” referring to her sexual allegations against Carr.

Carr answered: “Not that much of a pain, no way.”

The prosecution alleges Carr agreed to pay Robertson £1,500 to kill Pennie. Police found £1,500 in counterfeit notes at Carr’s then-home in Ridley Close, Holbury.

Carr said the money was part of his fancy dress outfit for the Bestival music festival.

Carr, 22, of Edward Road, Shirley, Southampton, and Samantha Maclean, 28, of Beech Avenue, Hythe, deny conspiracy to kill. Robertson, 36, of no fixed address, denies murder and conspiracy to kill.

Proceeding