A care worker who targeted a professional poker player as part of a "honey trap" robbery has denied lying to try and protect her former lover in his death, a court has heard.

Leonie Granger, 25, is on trial at the Old Bailey accused of being part of the murder of Mehmet Hassan, 56.

He was tied up and kicked to death, allegedly for the winnings he had stashed in his flat in March last year.

Prosecutor Crispin Aylett QC claimed that Granger set up the sting with former boyfriend Kyrron Jackson of Romborough Way, Lewisham and his friend Nicholas Chandler, of Lee High Road both 28.

The plot was allegedly hatched a month before the killing when Granger met and swapped phone numbers with Mr Hassan at a Mayfair casino.

Standing in the witness box Granger claimed she was "bait" "to commit robbery" but denied luring the divorced father-of-three to his death.

Mark Milliken-Smith QC, representing Chandler, told Granger that she is "lying to keeping Mr Jackson out of it".

Granger said she was not still in love with Jackson and that she was "not keeping him out of anything".

She claimed she had taken responsibility for her actions, adding: "I have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to robbery. I have made a silly mistake."

Mark Milliken-Smith said: "I suggest that you not only played down your role and understanding of what happened but you have played down the involved of your partner at the time Mr Jackson."

Granger said she was not in a relationship with Jackson.

Granger, of Gillingham, Kent, admits conspiracy to rob but has pleaded not guilty to murder.

She is charged with Mr Hassan's murder and false imprisonment alongside Jackson and Chandler.

The two men are further charged with robbing Mr Hassan, two counts of plotting to rob employees of Grosvenor Casinos, two counts of conspiracy to have a shotgun and imitation firearm in January last year, and two counts of conspiracy to falsely imprison.

Both men deny the charges against them.