May, 46, from Great Wakering, died on February 13 this year at a property in London Road, Westcliff after sustaining severe head injuries. Miah, 45, of London Road, denies his murder. A jury previously heard that Miah had moved out of his flat in London Road and his landlord had then gone around and discovered the body with his handyman.

The handyman - builder Mark Jones - gave evidence in court today where he shared with the jury how the flat was a "total mess" when he and the landlord arrived. He said they had knocked on the neighbouring flat's door to ensure that Miah had indeed moved out, which the neighbour confirmed.

Jones said: "We made our way inside the flat. It looked like a gone wrong junk sale. There was just stuff everywhere." The builder said he stayed downstairs and then was called by the landlord from upstairs.

He continued: "He jokingly called down saying 'Mark my friend, there's a body up here' - there was a big pile of blankets on the floor." Prosecuting barrister Christine Agnew KC said: "In that front bedroom what did you see?"

Jones replied: "There was a big pile of blankets. Just mess everywhere." Agnew said: "Did you see a hand?"

He responded: "Not to begin with." Agnew said: "What did you do to the blankets?" The builder said: "I flicked them with my shoe to see what was underneath and that's when a hand appeared."

Agnew said: "What did you do then?" Jones said: "I lifted the blankets up - at first I thought it was a fake hand. I then saw a torso and then said to Hussain 'we need to call the police'." Mr Jones said he then called 999 and informed the operator there was a body in the flat, and paramedics and police then went to the scene.

The jury had previously been told that Miah had left the flat in the early hours of February 13, travelled to east London to his family's address and later arrested on February 15. At his mother's home, bin bags full of clothes were found which had May's blood on it.

A hammer was also recovered in the address additionally had May's blood on it. Miah denies murder, claiming he was not at the scene when May was killed and he was unaware of how his blood-stained clothing got to his mother's house.