The girlfriend of the suspect accused of killing a homeless man in a graveyard has told a jury how one of the defendants made threats to kill the victim.

Lisa Taylor, 45, has been in a relationship with Justin Burnett, who is also homeless, after losing her flat.

A jury at Maidstone Crown Court heard how they shared a tent in Bleriot Woods, Dover at the time that Piotr Lacheta was beaten to death in Cowgate Cemetery in 2019.

On September 30, Mrs Taylor and Burnett, 38, had been together when she went to stay the night at her mother's home. Her boyfriend returned to Dover later and he and homeless Claire Lunn, 48, were arrested and charged with killing Mr Lacheta - known as Polish Pete - whose body was discovered in the graveyard.

Both have denied murder.

Ms Taylor claimed earlier in the day she and Lunn had been drinking vodka when the two began talking.

"She (Lunn) asked me to help her buy a penknife from Poundland because she wanted to cut (Piotr's) tent."

She alleged that Lunn told her: "I am going to ******* kill him, whether it's today or another day... I mean it, I mean it".

Mrs Taylor added: "I laughed and I didn't take it seriously. We were all drunk,"

On the day Mr Lacheta died Mrs Taylor and Burnett had been to visit her mother in Deal and she wanted them to stay the night.

But she said Burnett said he planned to return to Dover by train and the two parted at the rail station when she called him " a loser" for turning down a warm bed for a tent.

"I put two fingers up (to the train window) and mouthed: 'I love you'. That was the last time I saw him," she told the jury.

She claimed she spoke with Burnett once he was remanded to custody: "I asked him if he killed Piotr and he said he hadn't and I believed him."

Mrs Taylor added that later she "had a fling" with a man called Carl Henley but that they are now in a platonic relationship in the same supported accommodation.

"Carl treated me a bit like a princess. He was very kind to me.

"I still love Justin. He is more fun, more exciting.

"I feel closer to Justin because he has always been there for me.

'I was in my tent watching programmes and I heard a lot of shouting and screaming from one male voice...'

"I have (in the past) described him as a nutter because of his mental health (problems) but I am not frightened of him. I give more than I get, " she added.

Yesterday we reported how Burnett told a health worker he believed his alter ego 'Jason' was responsible for killing Mr Lacheta and that Jason takes over his body and mind and he has no memory of it.

Nick Chandler, who was living in a tent at the cemetery in 2019, got to know Lunn and Mr Lacheta.

"I believe they had an on-off relationship... a very turbulent one. I heard them arguing on numerous occasions.

"I saw Claire on several occasions with black eyes."

Mr Chandler added that at approximately 9.30pm the night of the killing he heard shouting.

"I was in my tent watching programmes and I heard a lot of shouting and screaming from one male voice.

"I heard: 'Get up you ****... Are you a man?'

"I heard: 'Come out come out. She's gone back to Deal. She has left me.'"

He told the jury that the shouting had continued for one and a half hours. He was very very aggressive.

"At the time I recognised the voice but I couldn't put a name to it. I was able to do that the following morning . It was Justin Burnett's (voice)."

He said he didn't hear the voices of Mr Lacheta or Lunn that night.

The trial continues.

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