HAYLEY MURDER TRIAL: HUGO Quintas' friend Joaquim da Cunha was cleared by the jury of perverting the course of justice.

Da Cunha, 30, of Seymour Court, Trowbridge, had always denied the charge, taking the stand on Friday, accused his friend of lying. Quintas said when he got home after killing his girlfriend he told Da Cunha what happened and said his friend had then helped him put the bloody clothes in a bag.

Da Cunha said this account was absurd.' He told the court Quintas had arrived home in the early hours of June 11 wearing only his boxer shorts. He said: "(Quintas) started talking immediately that he had a fight with Hayley's brother at the Kings Arms. He made his way to the kitchen, picked up a big kitchen knife looking out of the window saying that if Hayley's brother came to (the house) I'll kill him."

When Paul Grumbar, defending Da Cunha, asked about his friendship with Quintas he replied he had once thought they were like brothers and said he seemed' to be a friend.

He said he believed Quintas wanted to return to Portugal because of driving offences and said he had accompanied him to Bristol Airport because Quintas had done the same for him.

He then denied cleaning the house in an unusual way telling the court it was normal for him to clean thoroughly on a Saturday because he was HIV positive. When asked if he had washed Quintas' clothes he replied if he had done so it was unintentional and they may have already been in the washing machine when he switched it on.