THE man accused of murdering his secret lover, Saints steward Paula Poolton, was seen running into work on the night she disappeared, a court has heard.

Two Royal Mail workers told Winchester Crown Court this morning how they watched Roger Kearney running into the depot in Eastleigh by flipping under a barrier and not the main staff entrance.

David McGregor told jurors that he saw Kearney running towards the barrier at the vehicle entrance and exit while on a smoking break at sometime between 10.15 and 11pm on October 17, 2008.

The prosecution claim Kearney arrived at work at 10.33pm and not at 10.20pm as he told police.

They say Kearney ran under the barrier instead of using his swipe card at the staff entrance, as he knew it would record what time he arrived at work.

Prosecutor Nicholas Haggan QC said: "Mr Kearney was running along the fence from the front of the building heading towards the vehicle entrance and exit?"

Mr McGregor replied: "Yes".

Mr Haggan then asked: "And then he disappeared from view, when he went behind the bike shed. When did you see him again?"

Mr McGregor told the court: "He was coming through the barriers and he was still running as fast as he was before.

"Physically he was the other side of the barrier in side the yard."

The court also head from his colleague Lee Martin, a Royal Mail worker for 23 years, who was with Mr McGregor when they saw Kearney running.

He said: "I saw Roger running across the car park toward the barrier which lets the lorries in and out of the depot.

"I don't think he saw us."

He added that they saw Kearney fall but that he picked himself up and carried on into work.

Kearney, 57, of Painswick Close, Sarisbury Green, denies killing 40-year-old Paula, who was found stabbed to death in the boot of her car 11 days after she wet missing in October 2008.