Murder-accused Mark Brown said 'victim' took her own life

A man accused of killing two women told people one of his alleged victims took her own life, even though he believes she is still alive.

Mark Brown said he wanted people to presume 33-year-old Leah Ware was dead as he "didn't want to talk" about personal issues in their relationship.

Mr Brown, from St Leonards, East Sussex, denies murdering Ms Ware and Alexandra Morgan, 34, last year.

He told Hove Crown Court: "I'm not very good with my emotions."

When he took the stand as the defence phase of the trial began, defence barrister Ian Henderson KC asked him why he told people Ms Ware was "no longer with us".

Mr Brown replied: "I used the phrase so people wouldn't keep asking questions.

"I wanted to speak to someone and it was just an easier way of speaking, without all the other stuff."

Mr Brown said his on-again off-again relationship with Ms Ware was "off" throughout most of 2021. He maintains that he does not know where she is, but that she is still alive.

He denied killing Ms Ware, and said he did not "harm a hair on her head". He also denied being controlling towards her.

Mr Brown accepted he had given differing accounts to different people about where she was and had told two friends she had been sectioned, jurors heard.

The court heard Mr Brown had been having a relationship with Ms Ware, from Hastings, after he first met her as a client through the escort site Adult Work in 2018.

Jurors have heard he went on to put her up at a caravan at premises he rented at Little Bridge Farm near Hastings and the prosecution claim he murdered her in May 2021 and disposed of the body.

Mr Brown is also accused of murdering Miss Morgan, from Sissinghurst, Kent, a single mother of two children who was reported missing by her mother in November 2021.

The prosecution has said Miss Morgan was a sex worker and had arranged to meet Mr Brown at Little Bridge Farm.

Her remains were later found in an oil drum at a skip at a building site near Sevenoaks where Mr Brown was working at the time of her disappearance.

Later, Mr Brown claimed Ms Ware had killed her pet dog days before he allegedly killed her.

He said he noticed the dog was missing and later found it in a lake with a weight and a chain around its neck.

He said he had bought the Pomeranian, called Lady, for Ms Ware as "emotional support".

Ms Ware's friends and family have said she was a devoted animal lover and would never have allowed any harm to come to her pets.

The trial continues.

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