THE man accused of murdering a teenager whose body was found in a children’s play area, had drug and alcohol problems, it was revealed.

Scott Townson, 21, also did not like Luke Woolf, a former fellow resident at the house that catered for the single and homeless under the age of 25, a court heard.

The prosecution claim that on October 25, 2008, the jobless 18- year-old had undressed to a T-shirt and boxer shorts as he tried to sleep in the lounge of the Rainbow Project-run property in Radcliffe Road, Southampton, before being beaten up.

He was then dragged across the road and dumped in the park, Salisbury Crown Court was told yesterday.

The teenager, who suffered serious head injuries, did not regain consciousness and died from pneumonia several months later in hospital.

Townson, who denies murder, told detectives he was the only tenant in the house that night and was attacked by someone he thought was an intruder.

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He punched and kicked him because he was in fear of his life. It was not until he switched on the light that he realised the person was Luke, the court heard.

Project worker Debbie Hughson told jurors the teenager had lived at the house from June 4, 2008, but in September he had been given 28 days notice to leave because he had been staying elsewhere and had not been paying the service charge. He was given an extension but eventually left on October 15.

“He was due to pay us a small amount of money from his jobseeker’s allowance but he got his money and disappeared.”

Townson had been living at the house for about two to three weeks and he told her he had not seen much of Luke but did not like him and the teenager had stolen some of his food.

“Scott had problems with drink and drugs but he was taking steps to put his life back together.”

She described Luke as having a laid-back attitude. “The only time he got angry was when I contacted his auntie, he didn’t want me to.

He was upset/angry rather than angry/angry.”

The court heard from a succession of witnesses who described how the teenager had spent his last day with friends going shopping in Southampton city centre, spending about an hour to 90 minutes in a nearby pub in the early evening before returning to a friend’s support housing flat in Wilton Road with friends, drinking and dancing.

Hotel worker and friend Laura Walsh said she last saw him sitting on the communal staircase.

“He seemed a bit weird, a bit upset.”

He said “I’ll see you later” as she went out but she did not return that night, she said.

Another friend, Elliott Ford described him as “a bit merry but not drunk” and last saw him when Luke told him he was going for a walk. Connor Waters said he saw him that night with a set of keys, including one to the front door of the Radcliffe Road house and one to his bedroom there, which he kept on a neck strap.

Proceeding.