MURDER suspect Adam Whelehan has dismissed months of texts and tweets allegedly plotting Natalie Jarvis’s death as a “joke” and “just letting off steam”.

Whelehan, 23, of Roseberry Gardens, Sidcup, told the jury at Maidstone Crown Court there was no seriousness behind the messages he sent to his friends and posted on social networking sites.

He claimed a post he wrote on Twitter on July 23 last year saying “It’s alright to kill someone these days, isn’t it? Think I might do that” was not referring to Miss Jarvis, 23.

Whelehan said: “I don’t think it was in reference to anyone.

“At that stage, a lot of people were killing people and getting away with it. Obviously, that’s sarcastic.”

On August 6, Whelehan posted a further tweet that said: “How do you do it? #murderous mind”.

After the tweet was read out in court by defence counsel Sasha Wass QC, he told the jury of eight men and four women: “All the pressure was getting too much. It was a stupid figure of speech.”

He said Miss Jarvis bombarded him with “easily over 120 messages a day.”

He said: “I received death threats and blackmail.

“It first started with ‘drop down dead’ and ‘watch this space.'

“It was a nightmare. If I didn’t reply, she would kick off. The messages were pleasant when she wanted something and if she didn’t get it, they turned horrible.”

The court also heard about text messages sent between Whelehan and co-accused Tom Fuller referring to Miss Jarvis – who the pair often referred to as JC after actor James Corden - in the months before the stabbing.

Fuller sent a text on September 6 last year saying: “Just f***ing stab the c*** already.”

Whelehan’s response was “Need to. She’s a p***k.”

Whelehan told Miss Wass the messages did not refer to Miss Jarvis.

On October 1, two days before Miss Jarvis’s death, Fuller sent another message to Whelehan: “I think if you don’t do it today you’ll just keep putting it off.”

That night, Whelehan met Miss Jarvis and while they were together she posted a message on Facebook at 11.46pm reading: “I have been kidnapped. Can someone come and rescue me?”

Whelehan later texted Fuller on the same night saying: “I wanted to do it so I kept driving around, but then she said that. Had my knife ready and everything.”

Recalling his state of mind in the months leading up to the stabbing, Whelehan said: “I was quite depressed. Everything was just getting too much.

“I started to drink quite a bit more. I just couldn’t concentrate.”

Jurors also heard details from an assessment about Whelehan, which was written soon after he was detained in Elmley Prison.

Referring to the weeks before the stabbing, it read: “He felt really down and had suicidal thoughts.

“He had thought of jumping off a train bridge but I came to the conclusion he would not kill himself over a girl.”

Whelehan has admitted killing Miss Jarvis, who he had been seeing since the summer, in "lawful self defence".

The prosecution alleges Whelehan murdered her because he "wanted out of the relationship and the only way out he could see was to kill her".

It is also alleged Fuller, of Oakley Drive, Eltham, also 23, was the "getaway driver".

The court has heard Whelehan picked up Miss Jarvis from her home with friend Fuller hiding in the boot of his car at about 10.30pm on October 3 last year.

He drove to a country lane car park in Swanley Village before getting out with Miss Jarvis about 10.50pm and "by the time he returned to the car, then driven by Fuller, she lay dead".

Miss Jarvis was found dead on the ground in Swanley Village Road after suffering more than 20 stab wounds.

Whelehan and Fuller deny murder.

The trial continues.