The women accused of stabbing a vulnerable DJ to death killed him in a "sustained, unrelenting and particularly violent" attack, one of their her own barristers admitted.

Alicia Davis and Charlotte Coulson, both 22, knifed 30-year-old Michael Kerr in the chest and slit his throat before dumping his body next to his car in a remote lane in Capel-le-Ferne, the Old Bailey heard.

Davis admitted causing Mr Kerr's horrific injuries, but claims it was because he had raped her, jurors were told.

She said she had sex with him on the day of the killing for £20 and claims he wanted to have sex again and forced himself on her in his car.

Paul Bogan, defending Davis, said she lied to police about the encounter because she was "embarrassed".

He said: "There is no dispute Alicia Davis went off with him. They went to the turning circle where they had sex after which he paid her £20.

"She didn't reveal that to the police in the first interviews - she was embarrassed and didn't want to discuss it.

"He wanted further sexual intercourse with her and she told him she couldn't and had to go. His interest in her persisted and endured. Desire and rejection – a potentially toxic mix.

"He drove them both to the circle he routinely went to for sex because he wanted to have sex with Alicia Davis.

"He went there for that purpose and when she rejected him he forced himself on her."

Davis told police in interview: "He was on top of me, I was telling him to get off. I was shocked, he was trying to get a kiss. We struggled, he moved my legs and I just sort of froze."

Mr Bogan said: "He forced himself on her, there was sexual intercourse and it was non-consensual – it was rape. Alicia Davis, armed with the knife on the floor, began striking out stabbing and slashing Michael Kerr.

"This wasn't an ordinary attack, it was sustained, unrelenting and particularly violent. Something must have happened to trigger that uncontrolled violence."

Mr Bogan said Davis is guilty of killing Mr Kerr, but the jury should clear her of murder because she lost control after the alleged rape.

He told the jury she was currently in psychiatric care and was abused by her father when she was 11.

The court heard Davis was sitting next to Mr Kerr in the front of his gold Renault Clio while Coulson was sat behind at the time of the killing in the early hours of April 10.

The court has heard gaping wounds to the victim’s throat were so severe it had damaged the spine muscles at the back of the neck. He had suffered a total of 21 separate injuries.

Davis and Coulson both deny murder. The trial continues.