Murder suspect Julian Felisi picked up Gary Bennett and two other men on the morning of the Watford bin man's death, a court heard this afternoon.

Speaking to the court, Mr Felisi explained how on a “cold, wet and dark” morning, on February 24, he arranged to collect Mr Bennett from his Oxhey home and drive him to “pick up some tobacco”.

Mr Felisi told the court he did not know where they were going but Mr Bennett, who did not own a car himself, directed him over a railway bridge where two men were standing.

He said: “One of them put something in the boot, I didn't know what it was, and they both got in the car. They directed me to Dagger Lane. They were chatting to Gary about tobacco I think but I couldn't really say what was said as I had my window down and the radio on.”

The defendant described one of the men as being about 5ft 10in with a high visibility jacket while the other wore dark clothes.

The court heard Mr Felisi was then directed down a lane where one of the men got out of the car before telling him to “drive around for a bit”.

Mr Felisi said he drove around before being told to pull up again in Dagger Lane, which he did in the lay-by down the road from the park.

The court heard the arrangement was made between the two work colleagues the previous day when Mr Bennett had asked the defendant to pick him up “as a favour”.

Mr Felisi told the court it was the third occasion Mr Bennett had asked him to do this but on the previous two they didn't end up going on the trip.

The court heard Mr Bennett would buy tobacco from the defendant on his return from trips to Belgium and France.

He said this was a sideline of little financial benefit to him, something he said covered his costs for “a nice day out”.