MURDER victim Gary Bennett's blood was found on items in the boot of suspect Julian Felisi's car, a jury heard this morning.

DNA tests revealed a rucksack and a plastic bag owned by the defendant were found to contain traces of the popular Watford bin man's blood, the court heard.

Mr Bennett, 47, of Little Oxhey Lane, Watford, was found dead with severe head injuries, near a disused kiosk in Aldenham Country Park, on the morning of Wednesday, February 24.

At St Albans Crown Court this morning, the jury was shown CCTV footage that captured, what a police re-enactment later proved to be, two figures in high-visibility jackets walking in the direction of the park kiosk at 5.31am.

At 5.45am, the same camera picks up one figure leaving the park in a high visibility jacket.

Prosecution barrister Michael Speak told the jury they would later be shown CCTV footage from several cameras capturing, what The Crown claim to be, Mr Felisi's car passing the scene and parking between 5.03am and 5.26am.

Mr Speak said: “The Crown argues that the images show the defendant arriving in his car, leading Mr Bennett into the park to meet his death, and then leaving on his own having murdered him.”

Evidence is also due to be shown to the jury with regards to a phone call made my Mr Felisi, at 5.58am, to his work explaining that he would be late that morning.

Images of the murder scene showing a blood-splattered pillar at the disused kiosk, where Mr Bennett was found, were also shown to the jury.

The court was told expert examinations on the blood's distribution found it was in keeping with an attack being carried out on Mr Bennett when his head was very close to the ground.

Mr Bennett and Mr Felisi, of Whippendell Road, both worked as bin men for Watford Borough Council, at the Wiggenhall Road depot.

A statement by Mr Bennett's 81-year-old mother, with whom he lived, is due to be read out in court this afternoon and a number of employees from the waste depot are due to give evidence.

Mr Bennett was missing his mobile phone, a wallet containing several hundred pounds and a chain worth about £1,400 when he was found.