A MAN who allegedly confessed that he killed a friend was asked during his trial where the body was.

The question came as 29-year-old Stuart Martin was being cross-examined by prosecutor Mark Dennis, QC, at Maidstone Crown Court.

Martin, who denies murdering 54-year-old Francis Ottley, replied that he didn't know, and maintained that he had not killed the former ferry seaman while living in Spain.

The court has heard that Mr Ottley's body has never been found. He disappeared in March 2005, two years after he had left Dover to make a new life for himself.

Mr Ottley suffered from a heart condition and in January 2003 changed his lifestyle, taking off in a converted 1970s coach with his dog. In October 2004 Mr Ottley made £50,000 from the sale of his former home in Dover and later inherited over £47,000.

Mr Dennis told the court the inheritance went into Mr Ottley's account the week he was allegedly murdered. It had since lain dormant in a bank account.

During his cross-examination of Martin, Mr Dennis repeatedly asked him if he believed that he could evade justice all the while no body had been found, to which Martin repeatedly replied: "No, not at all."

Mr Dennis also questioned Martin as to why he had never returned to Spain when Mr Ottley "might be alive and well and able to help you", to which Martin said: "I have no reason to go to Spain. I wouldn't go back because the police just always harass me."

But Mr Dennis responded: "The reason you have never revealed where the body is, and why you have given differing accounts, is because you believe, without a body, you were safe whatever you said, and if you were in England you were safer still." Martin replied: "No."

During his evidence Martin, of Bramble Way, Hollingbury, Brighton, denied "confessing" to his "surrogate" mother or two prison inmates.

The court heard he was eventually arrested in connection with Mr Ottley's death while drinking whisky in London's Regents Park. He told the court he was not expecting to be arrested on suspicion of murder but said nothing when told that was the case.

But Mr Dennis accused Martin of not saying anything to the officer because he knew full well he would be arrested.

"You knew what you had done," he told Martin. "Murdered the man who befriended you over the years, Francis Ottley."

Martin simply replied: "No."

The trial continues.