A MURDER accused has said that he was threatened and forced to hand over his phone and car to men who later killed his drugs supplier.

Aston Hannis is accused of killing Gurinderjit Rai, also known as G, who was found dead in layby in Corhampton on July 13, 2019, with gunshot wounds.

Giving evidence during the trial at Winchester Crown Court Hannis said that he was at his home on July 12 in Leah Gardens, Eastleigh, when two men with “slight Scouse” accents came to the door and asked to “talk with them about monies owed and debts to G”.

The 29-year-old said that he got in a car with the men and “they asked me about the robbery and who I thought was responsible for the robbery”.

The court had previously heard that the safe houses where Hannis’ drug network kept drugs and cash were robbed in May.

He continued: “They thought I owed £250,000 at that time it was around £50,000 to £60,000. I told them I had £40,000 to come off that number tonight.

“They were under the assumption that it was a lot higher than it was. I remember the big guy in the front passenger, he laughed and said ‘oh I thought so’.”

Hannis said that the men asked him for the home postcode of co-defendant Philip Hodan, where he was due to meet Mr Rai, but he refused to.

“The conversation got really heated and then they threatened me. He told me that he knew where my girlfriend and where my kids lived.”

Hannis continued: “He told me that he wanted me to ring G and meet him at half 11 at the address he had on the sat nav.

“They said I wouldn’t be meeting him. They would be meeting him.”

The drug dealer said that the men told him that they would be taking his car, phone and money that he owed to Mr Rai.

The court heard that the men allegedly took the Mercedes Hannis had bought for his drugs runner.

Prosecutors previously said Hannis and Statham "carried out the execution", with Corin Barlow supplying the shotgun and White driving to meet them after the Mercedes saloon car they were driving was disposed of.

Hannis said that he and co-defendants Charlie Statham and Paul White later travelled to Hodan’s house in Longwood Dean Lane, Owslebury, to watch boxing.

The defendant said that the Liverpudlians rang him later that night and said: “They would be down next week to collect the outstanding money that was owed and they also told me that Rai was dead, that they killed him.

“I was shocked.”

Hannis’ said he did not know that Mr Rai was officially dead until he received a call from a mutual friend telling him that police had been to Mr Rai’s parents to inform them of his death.

Hannis, 29, of Leah Gardens, Eastleigh; Statham, 30, of Crescent Close, Oliver's Battery; Barlow, from Horley, Surrey; White, 27, of Dyson Drive, Abbotts Barton, all deny murder.

Hodan, 43, denies participating in the criminal activities of an organised crime group.

The trial continues.