Video of banker found 'unconscious' on sofa while escort dead in next room

Video courtesy of Sussex Police

A city banker accused of murdering an escort at her flat in Sussex told police he was 'not a violent man' and 'would never hurt anyone'.

Police were alerted after Christina Abbotts failed to turn up for her pre-planned birthday celebrations in South Kensington.

Wearing body cameras police forced their way into her flat in Crawley and found the defendant Zahid Naseem on the sofa.

The prosecution say he was 'pretending' to be unconscious.

Christina was then found dead in bed in the room next door, beaten on the head 13 times with a kitchen pestle.

The trial has heard that Christina Abbotts was a university graduate turned city socialite leading a secret life as a high-class escort.

She told family and friends she worked in IT.

On Friday the jury was shown video of the defendants police interviews.

The £250,000-a-year city banker told police he met Christina through an adult website and would pay her up to £3,500 a night.

Naseem told police they'd had enough alcohol and cocaine to 'kill an elephant' when he left Christina in the bedroom to sleep on the sofa.

He said when he woke up, he was shocked to find her dead and struggled to understand what happened.

Naseem told police he returned to the sofa in shock, drank vodka, took cocaine and passed out until police arrived.

The door had been double-locked from the inside.

In police interviews Naseem was also asked about fresh knife wounds on both of his wrists.

He says he has no recollection of them but does have a history of self-harming.

Zahid Naseem denies murder and the trial continues.