A MURDER suspect's housemate has told a jury that she doesn't think her friend is a killer.

Rebecca Edwards, who lived with murder accused Mundill Mahil, gave evidence at the Old Bailey today in the trial over the death of Indian TV channel owner and millionaire Gagandip Singh.

The body of Mr Singh, 21, of Langdale Crescent, Bexleyheath, was found in the boot of a burnt-out C-class Mercedes at 2am on February 26 in Angerstein Lane in Blackheath.

Mahil, from Chatham; Harinder Singh Shoker (referred to as Ravi), of Charlton Park Lane, Charlton and Darren Peters, of Shooters Hill Road, Blackheath, all aged 20, deny murdering Mr Singh.

Miss Edwards told the court her fellow medical student Mahil was "trusting", before adding: "Killing someone, I don't think fits with knowing her personally or in a professional context."

Earlier in the trial, it was claimed Mr Singh had attempted to rape Mahil - with whom he was "besotted" - last August.

It is alleged Mahil, who had broken ties with him following the incident, lured him to her house in Brighton on February 25, where Peters and Shoker beat him and drove him to Blackheath where they torched the car.

Miss Edwards said Mr Singh had continued to try to contact Mahil after the alleged rape and had threatened to harm himself if she did not respond, which she described as "emotional blackmail".

The court heard Mahil suspected Mr Singh of sexually harassing other women and considered him dangerous.

On February 25, Miss Edwards said she was in the lounge when Shoker, who she described as "polite and charming", arrived with Peters, whom she had never met.

She said Peters grunted and did not say hello.

Mahil asked her to leave the lounge at 11pm, and Miss Edwards said she went upstairs to put some books in her room before returning to the basement kitchen - next to the lounge - to make a cup of tea.

Miss Edwards said: "All of a sudden there were these thuds, like something was happening. Lots of noise all of a sudden which made me jump."

Under cross examination she added that she heard a male voice that she did not recognise calling for Mahil.

Miss Edwards said she felt trapped in the kitchen and when she went into the hall saw Mahil.

She added: "I think I made her jump as I opened the door. I don't think she knew I was there. She seemed quite shaky. She just told me to go upstairs."

Miss Edwards said she could still hear noises as she climbed the two flights of stairs to her room, where she called her dad and asked him to collect her.

She later added that she was already considering returning home to London that night anyway. She said: "I didn't feel safe in my own house, I didn't want to be there."

She said she feared Mr Singh was in the house because Mahil had mentioned she had been in contact with him that evening and Mahil had previously told her about the attempted rape.

Breaking down into tears recalling her fear she said: "I wasn't scared that he was being murdered. I was scared that he was near. I was scared that he was going to come back that evening."

Later on, Miss Edwards told the jury she heard bins downstairs rustling and heard a car speed off.

She said she went into Mahil's room where Mahil was crying, and saw a damaged camera tripod and noticed Mahil's bed was missing bedding.

She said Mahil made a 'throw away comment' that she didn't think Mr Singh would bother him anymore.

On the previous day, the jury heard, Miss Edwards has talked to Mahil about 'justice' and the idea of killing someone with no repercussions. In cross examination, she conceded she had not been fully paying attention during the conversation and had made assumptions about its content based on what she remembered.

She added: "You can't ever consider that is really happening."

The trial continues.