ONE of the men accused of murdering Geoffrey Reed sent him a text message three days after he was killed, a court heard yesterday.

The message found on Stuart Wareham’s mobile phone read: “lght mush hows things mate” and wassent on June 10 last year.

Winchester Crown Court heard that a series of texts were exchanged between phones belonging to the three defendants between June 3 and June 12 but many had been deleted and could not be recovered.

The court heard two messages sent from Lee Wareham to brother and co-defendant Stuart Wareham were recovered. One sent on June 7 read: “Not sure at mo if i not at urs 2 nite i be there 2 morrow I went home and had a shower and fell asleep got some petrol as well so I can burn the clothes.”

The second sent on June 8 read: “Hey bro i put ur bag in wash 2 be on safe side.”

The court also heard of two entries made on Stuart Wareham’s Facebook page which were recovered from his mobile phone.

The first posted on June 7 read: “Had a good day with my lovely family hope the night gose well.”

And the second posted on June 9 read: “Everyone has a dark side do you love me do you love mine.”

The jury also heard from a mobile phone signal expert who looked at records from Lee Wareham’s mobile phone and the cellsites it connected with between 1.40pm and 6.15pm on June 7 last year.

Brian Fisher said he concentrated his survey on key locations provided to him by the police where Lee is alleged to have been seen on CCTV that day.

He told the court that the records were consistent with Lee Wareham’s mobile phone being in and around these locations in the Boscombe area – specifically Cecil Road, the shed at Shelley Cottage, alleyway off Sea Road – and Bournemouth Library. CCTV footage was played to the court showing the movements of Mr Reed and the defendants on June 7.

Mr Reed, a convicted sex offender, was killed in his flat on June 7 last year, before his body was stuffed into a suitcase and buried in a shallow grave in woods, the court previously heard.

The 57-year-old’s body was later found in a suitcase hidden on land off Huntick Road in Lytchett Matravers.

Stuart Raymond Wareham, 26, Lee Raymond Wareham, 33, and Benjamin Henry Walter, 22, are accused of murdering Mr Reed between June 6 and June 14 last year.

All three defendants deny murder.

The trial continues.