A court has heard how a man accused of murdering a woman at a flat in Norwich had told friends how he needed to 'burn the flat down to get rid of the body'.

Norwich Evening News: Godric Place in Norwich. Picture Emma Knights.Godric Place in Norwich. Picture Emma Knights. (Image: Emma Knights.)

Danny Williams, 27, of Godric Place, Norwich, is on trial at Norwich Crown Court accused of murdering his neighbour Farnaz Ali, 49, in July last year.

The court has heard the body of Ms Ali, who had 59 injuries after being attacked with a hammer, was found in the bathroom of a flat belonging to Williams on July 29 2017.

Giving evidence today (September 14) Sandy Gould told the jury of seven women and five men how he had been with friends at a flat in Windsor Road, Lowestoft, on July 28 last year, when Williams arrived.

Mr Gould said Williams turned up with a dark-coloured holdall which he said he 'had to get rid of'.

Mr Gould, who described Williams as being 'quite jittery', said he was saying 'she was dead' and 'lyjng on the floor'.

'He said, 'She's dead, she's lying in the bathroom on the floor and I needed to get away'.'

He added: 'He just said that she knocked at the door, he flipped and didn't know what happened after that.'

The witness, who said Williams had been talking about his neighbour, was asked what was in the bag.

'He said (Williams) it was all his clothes covered in blood.'

Mr Gould said Williams also told them there was carpet in the bag.

He said Williams took something out of the bag and, from where he was sitting, it looked like 'a carpet tile with blood stains all over it'.

He said it was still damp as it was 'glistening' and 'looked like it was running'.

Mr Gould said he did not know how to take this initially because Williams 'could say things which aren't always true at times so I was a bit on edge with it at that point'.

The witness told the court how later that evening Williams had tried to burn the holdall in the garden of the flat.

Mr Gould told Andrew Thompson, prosecuting, that Williams had also talked about needing to go back to the flat in Godric Place.

He said: 'He turned round and said he's going to go back to burn the flat down and get rid of the body.'

Williams has denied murder.

The trial continues.