The trial of four men accused of murdering a Northfleet man started today.

Ted Shaxted, 36, died following what was described at Maidstone Crown Court as "a severe beating" at his flat in Wallis Park in December 2007.

Mr Shaxted's injuries included fractures to 11 out of 12 of his ribs on the right-hand side of his body, as well as a fractured collar bone.

His head was said to be significantly swollen when he was found by a friend on the night of December 2.

But the jury of six men and six women heard Mr Shaxted did not die until two weeks later on December 16 as a result of organ failure.

In that time he was able to speak about the attack to others, including paramedics and the police.

"You will hear what is perhaps unusual in a murder case - what he had to say about what happened," prosecutor Jonathan Higgs told the court.

The court heard Mr Shaxted was subjected to a "sustained and substantial beating".

The previous day he had taken and crashed a car while over the drink-drive limit.

Mr Higgs said a group was then "organised" to go to Mr Shaxted's top floor flat. It is alleged that group included three of the men on trial for Mr Shaxted's murder - Marvin Service, 33, Trevor Lees, 35, and Bill Saunders, 27.

Furthermore, the jury was told that the prosecution allege the man responsible for that visit was the fourth man in the dock, 29-year-old Kelvin Horlock.

Horlock, of Hatfield Road, Strood, Service, of Brandon Street, Gravesend, Lees, of London Road, Northfleet, and Saunders, of Shamrock Road, Gravesend, all deny murder.

The jury heard that Horlock, Service and Saunders have also pleaded not guilty to manslaughter.

The trial is expected to last six weeks.

For the full story, see this week's Gravesend Messenger newspaper