A woman jointly accused of murder told police how her boyfriend jumped on the neck of flamboyant Dover character David Redman before rolling his limp body into the sea.

Phillipa Hart, 22, said she was ordered by Christopher Graham to help him carry Mr Redman, known locally as Camp David, to the water on March 10, last year.

She told detectives following her arrest in June that she feared the same fate awaited her if she did not do as she was asked.

Hart said she took Mr Redman by his ankles and helped co-defendant Graham drag him along the seafront.

However, in an audio interview played to the jury at Maidstone Crown Court, Hart said she stopped and walked away, leaving Graham with Mr Redman’s body.

Hart and 26-year-old Graham, both of Noah’s Ark Road, Dover, deny murdering Mr Redman, who was 22.

The trio had been drinking together at the Funky Monkey pub in the town before heading for the seafront.

The prosecution allege that Graham ferociously beat Mr Redman and Hart helped to put him in the water. Mr Redman’s body has never been found.

Hart told police that they left the Funky Monkey after Graham rowed with another man. She said he was “irritated” by Mr Redman listening in to the argument.

The three then headed for the seafront where Graham accused Mr Redman of stealing from Hart’s home.

“Chris punched him in the face and David started trying to kick him,” said Hart.

After Mr Redman kicked out Hart said Graham let go and Mr Redman sat back down on the bench. Hart said she was, by now, standing and had threatened to call the police.

“Chris said that if I did that he would bump me off as well which I thought to mean he would kill me.”

The court heard Hart felt “a little tipsy”. Graham had had six pints and was, according to Hart, “aggressive and violent”.

She claimed Mr Redman started to walk off but was beaten by Graham back to the bench.

“Chris got him on the floor and was still kicking and punching him. I saw David lying on the floor unconscious. There was a lot of blood over his face.

“He was still breathing because he sort of snarled. Chris then just jumped on his neck. He literally just jumped on it with both feet together, right on his neck. When Chris got off David gurgled, like when you put a bottle in water.”

Graham took hold of Mr Redman’s wrists, she said. “He said: 'Are you going to help me drag him into the water?’ and I said: 'No. I don’t want anything to do with this’.

“He said: 'If you don’t you’ll be in trouble’. I picked up his ankles and we dragged him towards the steps.

“I stopped at the top of the steps and said: 'I can’t do anymore’ and I started walking away. I thought David was dead.”

She said she then walked off but turned around to see Graham dragging and then rolling Mr Redman down the steps and into the sea.

The trial continues at Maidstone Crown Court.