HAYLEY MURDER TRIAL: JOAQUIM Da Cunha's friendship with killer Hugo Quintas was so strong he told friends he would be prepared to help Quintas flee the country.
Da Cunha, 30, who is known as Sergio, denies attempting to pervert the course of justice by booking flight tickets to Portugal, helping Quintas travel to Bristol International airport and washing his bloody clothes.
He is accused of helping his friend on June 11, hours after Hayley Richards died. On Wednesday Bristol Crown Court heard evidence from Susana Do Rosario, whose brother moved into Da Cunha's rented home on June 10.
She said she met her brother, sister and Da Cunha in a caf in Trowbridge on Monday, two days after Miss Richards was killed. "Sergio said to us that he didn't believe Quintas had killed his girlfriend but he said that if he had known, he would have helped him escape," she said.
She said Da Cunha had then become nervous and tried to change the subject. Under cross-examination Paul Grumbar, defending Da Cunha, asked her why this comment could not be found in her police statements.
She replied she had told police many times but admitted her English was not perfect and they may have found it difficult to understand.
Earlier the court had heard from Mrs Do Rosario's brother Luis De Oliveira, who moved into Da Cunha's rented Seymour Court house the day before Miss Richards was found dead in her flat.
Speaking through a translator, he said he phoned Da Cunha on the morning of June 11 and was told he was on his way to take Quintas to Heathrow airport. He later found out Quintas had flown to Portugal from Bristol airport. Da Cunha said he had lied about the airport because Quintas had asked him to.
When Da Cunha returned to Seymour Court Mr De Oliveira said he was in an agitated' state and anxious to clean the house, despite the cleaning normally being done on Sundays.
"He was tidying up the front room, sorting out clothes, tidying up his bedroom and washing clothes," he said.
He said when he returned from a shopping trip in the afternoon Da Cunha was still cleaning and had hung washing on the line.
- The trial continues
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