A GROUP of men accused of murdering a 36-year-old alcoholic by beating him up in his bathroom "intended to cause him serious harm".

Marvin Service, aged 35, of Brandon Street, Gravesend; Bill Saunders, aged 30, of Denton Caravan Site in Gravesend; 38-year-old Trevor Lees of London Road, Northfleet, and 32-year-old Kelvin Horlock, from Strood, all deny murdering Ted Shaxted.

The 36-year-old died in Darent Valley Hospital on December 16 in 2007 - two weeks after being attacked at his home in Wallis Park, Northfleet.

Prosecution lawyer Jonathan Higgs told the court Horlock lied to police about the whereabouts of his car and mobile phone which have not been recovered since his arrest in December 2007.

Mr Higgs said: "We say Mr Horlock may or may not have been present, but undoubtedly he is central to the attack on Mr Shaxted.

"He is the one with the grievance and he is the one who knows all of the others."

Mobile phone records place Saunders, Service and Lees in the Wallis Park area around the time of the attack, the court heard.

Jurors were also told a palm print belonging to Service was found in Mr Shaxted's bathroom while blood found near the flat's front door was that of Lees.

Mr Higgs said: "This man was bundled into a bath and badly beaten for a sustained period. They may not have intended to leave him for dead but they did intend to cause him serious harm."

The trial continues.