A FARMER has spoken of the moment he found the body of Lennie Adams in a field near Semley.

Mark Jeffrey told Winchester Crown Court he, his father John and sister Frances Smart work on land at Marshes farm and had gone there on October 15 last year because some of their sheep had got out of a field.

Mr Jeffrey said they found an electric fence had been damaged and ground disturbed. He used a branch to move around some soil and discovered the body of 43-year-old Mr Adams, who lived about a mile and a half away in Station Road, Semley.

The court heard that Margaret Belcher, who lives near the site where the body was found had been awoken by an outdoor security system in the early hours of that morning and had seen a light coloured vehicle.

Mrs Belcher told the court she saw a similar vehicle again later that morning at about 10.30am.

The jury of six men and six women also heard evidence from Karen Wharton, who lives near the caravan in the car park of the former Kingsettle pub where Mr Adams lived, who said she heard a woman screaming nearby at about 2am that same morning.

Alan Parker, who works nearby, left his workplace at just after 5pm and was behind a silver estate car, which was weaving and being driven very slowly.

As he drove behind the car he saw a man sit up in the boot area, facing backwards towards Mr Parker.

He told the jury the man had blood on his head and face. Mr Parker didn’t see who was driving the car or if there were any other passengers because of the way the sun was catching the vehicle.

The court also heard evidence of the injuries suffered by Mr Adams, which included 18 areas of bruising and abrasion to his head and face, compression injuries to his neck consistent with strangulation.

Post mortem examinations also found injuries caused by blunt force impact to the head, face and upper body and internal head and face injuries.

Christopher Charles, 48, his girlfriend Charlie Louise Chase, 25, and Paul Chambers, 49, all of Station Road, deny murdering Mr Adams.

The case continues