THE girlfriend of a suspected murderer did not tell the police they were in a relationship because she was scared of her dad’s reaction.

Traveller Moses Devall was stabbed to death outside his home in Swallowtail Close, St Paul's Cray, at around 12.30am on October 31, 2009.

Jimmy Saunders, aged 21, of the Powerscroft Road travellers site in Sidcup, is standing trial for the murder of the 36-year-old father-of-two at the Old Bailey.

Katie Bignall, aged 22, from Ash in Kent, is standing trial alongside Jimmy Saunders for two counts of assisting an offender.

She is alleged to have helped Saunders avoid capture by the police after the attack.

Jurors were told that on November 6 2009 and November 28 2009 while being interviewed as a witness Bignall denied knowing Jimmy Saunders.

The court also heard that on the evening of December 14 2009 Bignall was arrested while driving a Vauxhall Corsa with James Saunders as the passenger.

She was taken to Bexleyheath Police Station and interviewed the following day.

The interview was read out in court today. During the interview Bignall said: “I should have said I knew him, but I was scared of my Dad.”

She added: “His family are from Star Lane originally. He doesn’t get on with them. He doesn’t like the area.

“My dad thinks that we are better than them and I deserve better than someone from that area.”

In the interview DS Sarah King asked: “Were you more worried about telling your Dad than assisting a murder investigation?”

Bignall replied: “I was scared of my Dad. He has already been in hospital. I didn’t want to give him a heart attack. “ She added: “They have got very strict rules about what girls should do and who they should go out with.”

Bignall denied being aware that James was a murder suspect.

DS King said: “You had gone to Essex a few days after the murder of Moses to meet Jimmy. Was it unusual?”

Bignall said: “No I was going there anyway. I didn’t want anyone to see us because that would get back to my Dad.”

The court heard that Jimmy had given her directions to meet him and she picked him up on a street.

She said: “We just had something to eat. We just went to a pub, had something to eat and a couple of drinks.”

Katie told police she had been very drunk on the night of October 30 and could not remember much of the night.

Jurors heard that she remembered dancing and drinking, being bundled into a car and getting into bed at home.

Jimmy Saunders and Bignall deny all the charges.

The trial continues.