A 30-year-old drug addict bludgeoned a dealer to death with a piece of wood and kept the body in his airing cupboard for three days, a court heard.

Toby Edwards then wrapped up the body of Carl Biddis in bin bags, took it to a nearby railway station and dumped it.

Neighbours at the Maidstone block of flats where Edwards lived, had seen him dragging the corpse in the early hours.

Police were able to follow a trail of blood from the track at Maidstone Barracks station right to the door of Edwards’s flat at Ruth House, Buckland Hill.

Edwards later claimed that he had struck Biddis twice with the piece of wood in self-defence after he was attacked with a knife.

But Alan Kent, prosecuting, said a pathologist found there had been at least 15 separate blows to the head and body.

"The prosecution say this is not of self-defence," he told Maidstone Crown Court. "We say it was not done in lawful self-defence."

The jury of six men and six women heard how Edwards was part of a drugs group taking heroin and crack cocaine and 39-year-old Biddis was the supplier.

Mr Kent said as Edwards admitted killing the victim, the only issue to be decided was whether it was in self-defence.

Both men had a long history of drug abuse. Edwards also took vallium, which was prescribed by his doctor.

On January 26, he went to his GP and asked for a repeat prescription, claiming he had lost the one he had. The doctor was suspicious but gave him the benefit of the doubt and prescribed 28 tablets.

The day before, Biddis had been staying at a bed and breakfast with another drug user, Melvin Treays.

Biddis telephoned Edwards and asked if he could stay the next night at his flat. Biddis offered drugs as payment and Edwards agreed.

Biddis and Treays went to London on January 26 to buy drugs. Biddis had £1,000 with him and bought half an ounce of crack cocaine for £450 and a quarter of an ounce of heroin for £220.

They returned to Maidstone and went to Edwards’s flat and smoked some of the drugs. Treays left later that evening, leaving Biddis and Edwards alone.

Treays later told police that Biddis was being unfriendly, difficult and rude to Edwards. Others also spoke disparagingly about Biddis.

"That doesn’t appear to be the defendant’s experience of him so far as their relationship was concerned," said the prosecutor. "He doesn’t say Carl Biddis bullied him in any way."

Some time during the night, Edwards killed Biddis.

"Having killed him, he didn’t do what you may think would be obvious and try and summon help," said Mr Kent. "He didn’t ring the police. He didn’t phone for an ambulance.

"He pretended to all intents and purposes that Mr Biddis was still alive. He put bin bags over his body and stored it in the airing cupboard in his hallway. He stored it there for three days."

In the early hours of Sunday, January 30, he moved the body to the railway line and then went about his normal business as though nothing was wrong.

The next day he tried to give Treays the impression that Biddis was still alive.

Edwards, of Lesley Place, Maidstone, denies murder. He admits preventing the burial of a corpse.

The trial continues.