A friend has described to jurors how a joyful birthday party with two sisters later turned to feelings of "dread" as their bodies lay undiscovered in a park.
Blackheath teenager Danyal Hussein is on trial at the Old Bailey accused of fatally stabbing Bibaa Henry, 46, and Nicole Smallman, 27, after seeking a blood pact with a demon to win the lottery.
The women had been celebrating Ms Henry's birthday with friends in Fryent Country Park in Wembley, north west London, before they were set upon in the early hours of June 6 last year.
Their bodies were found lying top to toe and intertwined under a hedgerow nearby the following day, the Old Bailey has heard.
Ms Henry's close friend Nina Esmat had been the first to join the sisters' party at a picnic spot laid out with blankets, cushions and fairy lights.
Describing the atmosphere of the party, she said: "It was lovely to get together with people after lockdown.
"It was a beautiful evening, amazing view, amazing sunset.
"We were all taking pictures remarking on the sky at night."
Ms Esmat was one of the last to leave at around 11.45pm, while the sisters stayed on, the court heard.
She told jurors: "I had the impression they were not going to stay long.
"It felt a safe space."
Afterwards, Ms Esmat texted Ms Henry by WhatsApp to ask about her evening and sent her some photographs from the party but heard nothing back.
She said: "I thought it was strange but it didn't worry me too much.
"I didn't feel that worried.
"The next morning her cousin messaged me and as soon as I heard her voice I knew something was wrong.
"I was filled with dread."
She told jurors that the sisters' mother was really worried because they had not returned home.
Ms Esmat joined another concerned friend, Adam Stone, to search the park.
She told jurors how she spotted Ms Henry's new designer prescription sunglasses in the grass.
"I saw them glinting in the sun and my heart sank.
"I just knew she would not have left them behind."
She called police who advised her to take them into the police station, jurors heard.
Ms Esmat said she spotted a second pair of sunglasses she thought might belong to Ms Smallman.
"It was all horrendous because prior to finding Bibaa's glasses I had some reassurance there was nothing there.
"It looked as if they had packed up their stuff and left.
"But to find the glasses, they were a bit mangled, that filled me with dread.
"It was the second pair of sunglasses, we were both very apprehensive."
Ms Esmat set off to Wembley police station to hand in the glasses, leaving Mr Stone to continue the search.
She said. "He just said to me 'I don't know what to do' while I was gone and, I regret saying this, I just said 'if you can bear it just keep looking'."
While in the police station, she heard messages on the radio about Fryent Park, the court heard.
Ms Esmat said: "Adam eventually texted me to say 'I've found them. They are gone'.
"I knew what he meant but I did not want to believe it.
"I did reply 'what do you mean they are gone?'
"He said 'they are dead'."
Hussein, 19, of Guy Barnett Grove, Blackheath, south-east London, has denied double murder and possessing a knife.
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